NYRA/Chelsea Durand

La Verdad (Yes It’s True), winner of five straight before finishing a game second in her stakes debut in the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie at Laurel Park on February 22, achieved her first stakes victory in the slop at Aqueduct Racetrack on Saturday afternoon, taking the $100,000 Broadway Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares.

Trained by Linda Rice for Sheila Rosenblum’s Lady Sheila Stable, La Verdad was the 4-5 post time favorite in the salty field of eight fillies and mares lined up to go six furlongs, seven of whom had won their last start. The main track at Aqueduct, which began the day labeled “good,” was downgraded over the course of a rainy afternoon from “muddy” to “sloppy.” La Verdad had won all three previous outings over off-going.

Out of the gate sharply under Jose Ortiz, aboard for all seven of the 4-year-old’s prior lifetime starts, La Verdad quickly opened up two lengths on the field, pursued by longshot Here’s Zealicious and 5-2 second choice Risky Rachel, winner of the 2012 Broadway and coming off back-to-back stakes wins at Tampa Bay.

Carving out a sharp quarter-mile in 22.80 and half in 46.26, La Verdad extended her lead to more than three lengths in upper stretch, and never had an anxious moment to the wire, completing the six furlongs in 1:11.55 3 1/2 lengths to the good.

Hot Rendezvous (Macho Uno) winner of her last two starts for trainer Gary Contessa, broke in the air and raced well back early, but finished strongly to get second, a head in front of multiple stakes winner Sunny Desert (Wild Desert), winner of last year’s Broadway and starting for the first time after nearly a year on the bench.

Completing the order of finish were Make the Moment, Here’s Zealicious, Cape Cod Carol, Ave’s Halo and Risky Rachel. Vicki’s Dancer was scratched.

Jose Ortiz felt that he had the best horse going in, and that she acquitted herself as expected. “She’s a nice horse, a nice New York-bred,” said Ortiz. “It was easy company here. She did what she had to do. She handled the [sloppy track] very good. She had won on [an off track] before, and she liked the track today.”

Linda Rice indicated that, for her part, she had a few pre-race concerns. “I wanted to use this race as a prep for the [Grade 2] Distaff on April 19, and I was a little shocked at how tough it came up,” Rice said.  I was concerned I didn’t have her quite tight enough for today; Jose said she was blowing a little bit, but she should be better next time. I didn’t want to have her over the top for the Grade 2.”

Following a fourth-place finish in her unveiling in March 2013 on the Aqueduct inner, La Verdad went on to break her maiden and win an entry-level state-bred allowance in back-to-back starts in April and May at Aqueduct and Belmont. Following six months off, the bay took three straight races, winning through her second-level open allowance condition before an impressive stakes debut in the Fritchie.

Rice said, “She’s a big filly so we took our time getting started with her. Then last summer, she got an infection, and I had to give her the summer off, but she’s come back with a vengeance.”

With a record of 6-1-0 in eight races, La Verdad has now earned $306,700.

Bred by Eklektikos Stable LLC and foaled at Chester and Mary Broman’s Chestertown farm in Chestertown, La Verdad is one of two winners from two foals to start out of Noble Fire (Hook and Ladder), a stakes-placed runner bred by Chester and Mary Broman and also trained by Linda Rice ($67,000).

Noble Fire, who was purchased by Rice as agent for $115,000 at the 2007 OBS Spring sale of 2-year-olds in training, is also the dam of speedy Rice-trained Eklektikos homebred N. F’s Destiny (Cuvee), a four-time winner and earner of over $200,000.

Noble Fire currently has a 2-year-old filly by City Zip and was bred to Freud last spring.