La Verdad joins millionaire’s club with repeat in Dancin Renee

La Verdad sailed home in the Dancin Renee to boost her career earnings past $1 million (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography)

Lady Sheila Stable’s La Verdad (Yes It’s True) was going for a title defense
in Sunday’s $100,000

Dancin Renee S. at Belmont Park and put her stamp on the race when romping
home a 7 1/4-length winner under jockey Jose Oritz.

The Linda Rice-trained mare was sent off the prohibitive favorite at 1-9 and
lived up to those odds by immediately taking command of the race. La Verdad
sailed over the sloppy, sealed surface through fractions of :22 4/5, :45 4/5 and
:57 3/5 with Ortiz sitting chilly, extended her margin to four lengths on the
backstretch, then opened up even more in the stretch.

The five-year-old bay ended up finishing six furlongs in 1:10 1/5 and paid
$2.20 as much the best. Make the Moment (Indygo Shiner), sent off at
double-digit odds like the rest of the seven-horse field, took second by a neck
over Miss Da Point (Strong Contender) while Here’s Zealicious (Here’s Zealous)
finished fourth.

“I was happy she won was easily as she did because, frankly, this is a race we
were just trying to use to get her to Saratoga in better condition than we were
last year, going toward the ($200,000) Honorable Miss (H. [G2] on July 29) and
hopefully the ($500,000) Ballerina (S. [G1] on August 29),” Rice noted. “We didn’t
want it to be a hard race on her, and elected to stay here rather than go to the
($250,000) Princess Rooney (H. [G2] at Gulfstream Park next Sunday).

“We had also considered running her in the (June 20 Bed o’ Roses H. [G3]), but
in her last race she had worked pretty hard to keep (eventual Bed o’ Roses
fourth-placer) Room
for Me (Harlington) at bay. (The Bed o’ Roses) was a pretty strong race, so I’m really glad
we’re going to Saratoga off an easy effort.”