La Verdad a heavy favorite in short field for Vagrancy

Coming off a successful defense of her title in Aqueduct’s Grade 2 Distaff Handicap, La Verdad breaks from the rail and concedes five to nine pounds to four rival fillies and mares in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Vagrancy Handicap at Belmont Park.

Only two trainers saw fit to challenge the speedy La Verdad, who has won 11 of 17 starts for Lady Sheila Stable and trainer Linda Rice. Kiaran McLaughlin entered Sustainable and Mamdooha, and David Jacobson sends out Room for Me and Frivolity.

The 6 1/2-furlong Vagrancy is race 6 on a 12-race program, with post time scheduled for 2:59 p.m. Eastern. There will be no show wagering.

La Verdad had a busy campaign in 2014, making 11 starts and coming away with six victories, five of them stakes. She received a freshening after finishing last against males in the Fall Highweight Handicap and returned four weeks ago to win the Distaff by 5 1/2 lengths after shrugging off pace pressure.

“I wasn’t happy when I saw [Aireofdistinction] coming after her early, and they were going pretty fast,” said Rice. “I was a little concerned that was going to make it a real test on her fitness, but her ability is the key. She’s got a lot of talent and is able to overcome that. I had her in training for quite a long time without a vacation, and after the Fall Highweight, I decided to turn her out for a couple months. She deserved it.”

La Verdad earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure for the Distaff, the same figure Room for Me posted in winning a second-level allowance last Friday. That was the third straight victory for the 5-year-old Harlington mare, a streak that began when she was claimed for $12,500 at Santa Anita. In her first start for Jacobson, she uncorked a 105 Beyer to win the $50,000 Videogenic on Aqueduct’s Claiming Championship Series program.

Mamdooha went to the sidelines for a year after winning the Ruthless and the Cicada in early 2014. Coming off a 364-day layoff, she rallied from fifth in the stretch to get up by a head in a sloppy renewal of the Correction.

“She’s a fighter of a racehorse,” said assistant trainer Art Magnuson. “She knows where the wire is.”

Mamdooha subsequently was third to La Verdad in the Distaff, beaten a neck for second by Frivolity. Either would need a career-best performance to turn the tables Saturday, as would Sustainable, a preliminary-allowance winner two starts back.

Sunset Glow heads Wait a While

Later on, 3-year-old fillies are scheduled to go seven furlongs on the Widener turf in the $100,000 Wait a While Stakes, which is race 10 with a 5:38 p.m. post.

Heading the lineup is Sunset Glow, who won the Sorrento and Del Mar Debutante on Del Mar’s recently removed Polytrack. She appears well suited to a cutback in distance after setting the pace against the unbeaten Lady Eli in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and the Appalachian.

Lady Shipman, who has won four in a row by better than a combined 28 lengths, stretches out past six furlongs for the first time and looks like the one to catch.