Mrs. Orb ends 5-race string of second-place finishes with La Verdad win

Mrs. Orb found a cure for her case of seconditis and likely ended her racing career in style, winning Sunday’s $100,000 La Verdad Stakes for New York-bred females at Aqueduct.

In a scratch-reduced field of four, Mrs. Orb, last early under Dylan Davis, confronted 2-5 favorite Sharp Starr in upper stretch and was able to outfinish Sharp Starr by a length over a sealed, muddy surface. It was three lengths back to Espresso Shot in third. Prairie Fire, who set the early pace, faded to last.

Timely Tradition and Sadie Lady were scratched.

The victory was the sixth from 23 starts for Mrs. Orb, a 6-year-old daughter of Orb owned by Ruggeri Stable, Richard Coburn, Script R Farm and Mike Miceli, the latter being the mare’s trainer. Those connections have Mrs. Orb catalogued to be sold on Jan. 11 at the Keeneland horses of all ages sale.

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“That’s still the intention,” Miceli said. “Things can always change, but right now that’s still on.”

If so, at least Mrs. Orb went out a winner. In 2019, she had won five of nine starts including the Bay Ridge Stakes. In 2020, she went 0 for 6, but finished second in five consecutive stakes including the Grade 3 Turnback the Alarm Handicap on Nov. 7 and the Bay Ridge last month.

In turning Mrs. Orb back in distance to seven furlongs Sunday, Miceli figured there would be a solid pace to allow his mare to close.

The race lost most of its speed when Timely Tradition and Sadie Lady scratched.

Prairie Fire, under Jose Lezcano, set the pace with Sharp Starr, under Trevor McCarthy, stalking through a quarter of 24.16 seconds and a half-mile in 47.95.

Coming to the quarter pole, all four mares were in a line across the track with a chance to win. At the eighth pole, it was down to Mrs. Orb and Sharp Starr with the former, in receipt of six pounds from the latter, going the better of the pair.

Mrs. Orb covered the seven furlongs in 1:24.54 and returned $12.20 as the longest price in the field.

Miceli said when Sadie Lady scratched, “I knew it might have been a softer pace today, but she delivered when it counted. She got floated wide, but she dug in nicely. She’s tough and she always delivers. I was glad she got over the seconditis.”

Davis said the two scratches didn’t necessarily change his game plan, but he did like the turnback in distance from a pair of 1 1/8-mile races.

“I think with the seven-eighths, she had a little more kick to finish to the wire than when she was stretching out,” Davis said.

If she’s done racing, Mrs. Orb ends her career with a record of 6-8-3 from 23 starts and $439,520 in earnings.