True Empress rides the rail to Arctic Queen victory

True Empress rode the rail to a 1 3/4-length victory in Monday’s $50,000 Arctic Queen Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares, the holiday feature at Finger Lakes.

True Empress ($7.58), under Luis Perez, broke from the rail in the field of six and saved ground while outfooted early, last as Sandy’s Garden led through the opening quarter of 23.47 seconds on the fast track. She slipped through with an inside bid, struck the lead in upper stretch, and widened to the wire, finishing the six furlongs in 1:11.71.

Sandy’s Garden held second by two lengths over multiple stakes winner Caldwell Luvs Gold. Favored Zi End, making her stakes debut, is usually forwardly-placed, but was no serious factor in fourth.

True Empress, trained by Michael Ferraro, won her first stakes; in her only previous try at the level, she was fifth in the 2022 Bouwerie in her 3-year-old season.

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