Sadie Lady's speed keeps her in front all the way in Dancin Renee

ELMONT, N.Y. - It was no secret what Jose Ortiz was going to do on Sadie Lady out of the gate in Saturday’s $100,000 Dancin Renee Stakes for New York-bred females at Belmont Park. It was just a matter if anybody was going to challenge her on the lead.

When no one did, it was basically game over.

Sadie Lady, despite breaking to the right out of the gate, was able to secure a clear, early advantage and carried her speed the entire six furlongs to post a 1 1/2-length victory over Fierce Lady in the Dancin Renee. It was three-quarters of a length back to Ruvies in Time in third.

Espresso Shot was fourth, followed by Eloquent Speaker. Good Credence scratched.

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The win was the eighth from 20 starts for Sadie Lady, a 5-year-old daughter of Freud owned by Dennis Narlinger and trained by Rob Atras.

“She broke like a shot, I knew she was real fast,” said Atras, who won his 15th race of the meet, good for third in the Belmont trainer standings. “I thought Jose rode her real good, confidently let her roll out of there. That’s how she runs her best races, she gets confident on the front end.”

Ortiz said he tapped his filly once after she broke to the right, and Sadie Lady was able to open up a 1 1/2-length lead after a quarter in 22.79 seconds, and opened that advantage to 3 1/2 lengths through a half-mile in 45.61 seconds. Though she tired a tad late, Sadie Lady held Fierce Lady, the 6-5 favorite, at bay.

Sadie Lady covered the six furlongs in 1:11.05 and returned $4.90 as the 7-5 second choice.

“When she switched to her left lead she wanted to do more, she wanted to go a little bit sooner than I wanted to, and it kind of took some kick away from me by the quarter pole,” Ortiz said. “She’s a speed horse, that’s her weapon.”

The Dancin Renee was the third win on the card for Ortiz, giving him a meet-leading 37, one more than his brother, Irad Ortiz Jr.

Atras said he would look to keep Sadie Lady at six furlongs. In Saratoga, there is the Grade 3, $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap at six furlongs. There is also the $100,000 Union Avenue Stakes for New York-breds in August, though that race is at 6 1/2 furlongs.