Longshot Lilbourne Eliza rallies to beat favorite in Wasted Tears

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Marty Wolfson said he entered Lilbourne Eliza in Saturday’s $90,000 Wasted Tears Stakes to help assure an honest pace for her three stablemates in the race, proven closers E B Ryder, Magical Steps, and Golden Production. Instead, the 35-1 Lilbourne Eliza rated off the lead, then came running late to upset the 3-2 favorite Angelica Zapata to capture the Wasted Tears under a well-timed ride by jockey Fernando Jara.

Lilbourne Eliza had been on or near the lead in nearly all her previous 17 starts but raced without blinkers Saturday for the first time since her 3-year-old finale in December 2013. Jara placed LIlbourne Eliza within easy striking distance of the 53-1 pacesetter Burning Truth during the early stages of the 1 1/16-mile Wasted Tears. Lilbourne Eliza commenced her rally midway on the second turn, fanned four wide into the stretch, angled back inside the drifting Silsita to wrest command inside the sixteenth pole, then held safe Angelica Zapata’s final surge to prevail by a half-length.

Angelica Zapata raced well back off the leisurely pace and rallied belatedly along the inside to finish second, another half-length in front of the tiring Burning Truth.

Lilbourne Eliza, a 4-year-old daughter of Elusive City, is owned by Miller Racing LLC. She paid $79.60.

“I meant to take the blinkers off her for her last start, but I didn’t,” said Wolfson referring to Lilbourne Eliza’s fifth-place finish in the Soaring Softly Stakes. “She works great in the morning without them. To be honest, she surprised me that she won because I thought she had to go to the front. I put her in the race to make speed for some of our others. I thought she’d be on the lead. Then I saw the other filly [Burning Truth] in front, and I was cursing. But sometimes you never know when you change equipment. She rated beautifully, and he rode her perfectly.”