Lady Elaine gets to go long

Finally, Lady Elaine gets to do what she does best. After three starts where she was compromised by surface, distance, or class, Lady Elaine goes long against New York-breds in the $50,000 Jack Betta Be Rite at Finger Lakes.

Saturday's Jack Betta Be Rite, for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles, gives Lady Elaine her best chance to win since she put up 2 wins and 2 seconds in 4 races at a mile or longer at Aqueduct in February, March, and April. Since the last race in that series, a second in a one-mile optional claimer against statebreds April 27, Lady Elaine has finished eighth in her turf debut, fourth sprinting, and fifth and last against open company in the Ms. Liberty at Monmouth on July 6.

Trained by Peter Kazamias, Lady Elaine runs best on or near the lead, and the challenge for her will be to rate behind what looks like a fast pace.

Hoosick Falls is the horse Lady Elaine and the other six in the field will be chasing. Hoosick Falls went too fast too soon in the Dancin Renee at Saratoga a month ago, fading to seventh and last. Her last two victories have come wire to wire in Finger Lakes sprints, including the six-furlong Susan B. Anthony in June. But it would be a mistake to dismiss her as a sprinter. She won a statebred optional claimer going a mile and 70 yards at Aqueduct in January and, in fact, has won 7 of her 12 races at the 1 1/16-mile distance.