Melisandre looks to avenge last year's loss in La Verendrye

The magnificent Melisandre, who has won as many races as she’s lost, goes for her 12th career victory in Tuesday's $50,000 La Verendrye Stakes at Assiniboia.

Melisandre finished second in last year’s edition of this six-furlong event. Her two subsequent races around two turns were subpar, a third-place finish in the Canada Stakes and a fading fourth in the Escape Clause, a stakes named after the best offspring of her sire, Going Commando.

Melisandre got back on the beam when crushing a light group of Manitoba-breds in the one-mile Distaff Stakes Aug. 22, after which she went to the sidelines for nine months.

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This year, Melisandre ran second in her May 21 season opener in an allowance/optional-claimer before taking the five-furlong Taboga Stakes with a 69 Beyer Speed Figure. Antonio Whitehall will ride the 6-year-old again for trainer Lise Pruitt.

One could make a case for the majority of the other six entrants, including Damn the Torpedoes, who rallied wide from far back to beat Melisandre at 12-1 in her May 21 comeback. Her closing kick wasn’t as effective most recently in the Taboga where she nosed out the speedy Halfinthewrapper for second after taking the long way around.

Six of Damn the Torpedoes’ nine victories came over six furlongs and she should be dangerous if the track is playing fair. Damario Bynoe retains the mount for trainer Wendy Anderson, who’s recorded 19 seconds and thirds at the meet, to go along with three tallies, from 43 starters.

Spitten Kitten should be winging it up front under Renaldo Cumberbatch. The 4-year-old put together an impressive four-race win streak last year that included gate-to-wire triumphs in the Chantilly and Jack Hardy Stakes, which she won by 10 1/4 lengths with a 74 Beyer.

Spitten Kitten was softened up in a speed duel when fourth in her April 5 season opener in a conditioned allowance/optional-claimer at Tampa, and in the aforementioned May 21 optional-claimer here. She has worked twice leading up to this engagement under the guidance of trainer Marvin Buffalo.

Big Stretch has been sidelined since her second consecutive third-place finish in a route stakes in the Sept. 18 Manitoba Matron. She got a good setup when capturing last year’s Escape Clause with ease after mounting a wide rally. Leading rider Prayven Badrie takes over for high-percentage trainer Michael Nault, who has a 25 percent strike rate with six-month-plus layoff runners.

Stormieis Blue has been campaigned regularly since the spring of 2023 under a variety of conditions at several different tracks. She won a starter/optional-claimer three back over a mile on the turf at Sam Houston and finished sixth when cutting back from 1 1/16 miles in her local debut in the Taboga. Dario Dalrymple has the mount for trainer Lee Delaronde.

Completing the field are Orange Theory and Adam’s Creed.

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