Mrs. Orb, a no-sale at Keeneland, will return to racetrack

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Mrs. Orb did not reach her reserve at the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale earlier this week and she is expected to return to the races later this year, trainer and part-owner Mike Miceli said Thursday.

Mrs. Orb, who won the La Verdad Stakes on Jan. 3 at Aqueduct, was sent to a farm in Ocala, Fla., after going through the sales ring in Kentucky and will likely return to Miceli’s barn in March.

“We’ll give her a little time off and hopefully be ready to roll in April,” Miceli said.

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The bidding stopped on Mrs. Orb at $295,000, which was below the reserve placed on the 6-year-old New York-bred mare. Miceli said he left that part of it up to the majority owners and did not reveal the reserve price.

Miceli said he is happy to have another year with Mrs. Orb, who has won 6 of 23 starts, including two stakes, and earned $439,520. Her victory in the La Verdad ended a string of five consecutive second-place finishes in stakes.

“We’re pretty fond of her,” Miceli said. “She’s like a war horse, runs any distance, tries hard. I was glad she was able to break that seconditis.”

◗ The $100,000 Ladies Handicap, which will be run for the 149th time on Sunday, drew a field of seven led by Miss Marissa, the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan winner.

Also entered were Am Impazible, a winner of four in a row; Lucky Move, a multiple New York-bred stakes winner who was second in this race last year; and Smooth With a Kick, Thankful, Ujjayi, and Bridlewood Cat. The latter was also entered in Saturday’s What a Summer Stakes going six furlongs at Laurel and was expected to run there.