Lady Eli just about ready to work

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Lady Eli will have her first workout of the year “any day now,” said trainer Chad Brown, who is contemplating a race schedule for the superstar turf mare.

A winner in 7 of 9 career starts, Lady Eli has been stabled at the Palm Meadows training center since shortly after her nose defeat to Queen’s Trust in the Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita.

“She’s been doing very well,” said Brown. “We gave her an ‘in-house freshening,’ is how I’d describe it. She’s been galloping, looking great, and we’re looking forward to getting her on a regular work pattern.”

Brown said the first start for Lady Eli could come in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley on April 15 at Keeneland, adding that he might wait for the Grade 3 Beaugay at Belmont Park on May 13, “depending on how much time I need with her.”

Lady Eli, a 5-year-old Divine Park mare owned by Sheep Pond Partners, has become a fan favorite not only because of her outstanding race record but because of her perseverance in overcoming laminitis. Her racing career was on hiatus for nearly 14 months before she returned to action last August.

Meanwhile, another standout turf mare, Dacita, recently rejoined the Brown stable following a break and also will begin serious training in anticipation of a 6-year-old campaign. Dacita is a lifetime earner of more than $1 million, most of it for Sheep Pond Partners and Bradley Thoroughbreds.