New York-bred influence strong in Ballerina

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Sunday’s card at Saratoga will be devoted to New York-breds, but perhaps the best advertisement for the advancements made in the statebred program over the years is Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina Stakes.

Four of the nine horses entered for the seven-furlong stakes for fillies and mares are New York-breds: Artemis Agrotera, Hot Stones, La Verdad, and Willet.

Artemis Agrotera won the Grade 1 Frizette as a 2-year-old and is 2 for 2 – both against statebreds – at Saratoga. After finishing third in the Shuvee at 1 1/8 miles, Hot Stones shortens up to seven furlongs, a distance at which she won the Grade 2 Bed o’Roses on June 21. Willet, a winner of 8 of 17 starts, seeks her first graded win after four stakes wins against statebreds. La Verdad, a winner of 9 of 12 starts, looks to rebound off a fifth-place finish as the 6-5 favorite in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss.

La Verdad, who has had the rail in three of her last four starts, landed in post 6 in the Ballerina. The Ballerina is a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in the fall at Santa Anita.

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The Ballerina field includes Better Lucky and My Miss Aurelia, the first- and third-place finishers from the Shine Again Stakes here July 21. My Miss Aurelia, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2011, is 3 for 4 at Saratoga. My Miss Aurelia will break from post 4 under John Velazquez.

Others entered in the Ballerina were Kipling’s Joy, Voodoo Tales, and Geeky Gorgeous.