By Sean Morris (NYRA) - https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/la-verdad-vision-perfect-return-winners-in-saturday-stakes/
La Verdad in the Distaff
New York-bred sprinter La Verdad made a successful return to the races on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack, trouncing a field of three rivals to take the Grade 2, $200,000 Distaff Handicap for a second consecutive year.
After a very lucrative 2014 campaign that saw her win six of 11 starts, including four stakes races restricted to New York-breds in addition to her Distaff triumph, La Verdad earned some much needed rest following a distant seventh-place finish against males in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap to conclude the year.
“I had her in training for a long time – about a year and a half – and she was running every month and really performing every time,” said La Verdad’s trainer, Linda Rice. “She was showing a few signs of needing a rest, so I turned her out for the winter. She deserved it.”
Although La Verdad came into the six-furlong Distaff a work short of her best by Rice’s estimation, the 5-year-old mare delivered a powerful performance.
Breaking from post 4, the daughter of Yes It’s True darted to the front under Jose Ortiz and quickly opened up a few lengths on the field. Not content to let La Verdad receive an uncontested lead, jockey Junior Alvarado and Aireofdistinction challenged the 1-5 favorite through an opening quarter-mile in 22.25 seconds.
The rapid tempo continued as the field rounded the far turn through a half-mile in 44.87, but Aireofdistinction bore out on the turn, leaving La Verdad in sole possession of the lead. From there, the Rice trainee was kept to task and cruised home to prevail by 5 ¼ lengths, stopping the clock in a brisk 1:10.00.
“I wasn’t happy when I saw [Aireofdistinction] coming after her early, and they were going pretty fast,” said Rice. “I was a little concerned that was going to make it a real test on her fitness, but her ability is the key. She’s got a lot of talent and is able to overcome that. I can only hope that she comes back and races as well as she has the last year and a half for us.”
Owned by Lady Sheila Stable, La Verdad bumped her bankroll to $900,700, and returned $2.60 on a $2 win wager.
Frivolity, Mamdooha, and Aireofdistinction completed the order of finish.