Vedareo Targets Sorority Stakes Rebound

Despite Vedareo 's disappointing and trouble-filled effort in the July 14 Schuylerville Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course in her last start, trainer Butch Reid remains as confident as ever that the 2-year-old filly will be able to follow in the footsteps of her champion half sister Vequist .

Vedareo, like Vequist, is out of the mare Vero Amore. And, like her half sister, she has talent and speed aplenty.

The road toward approaching her elder sibling's accomplishments—Vequist won the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) and posted two grade 1 wins among her five career starts for Reid—will begin anew in the $200,000 Sorority Stakes Aug. 21 at Monmouth Park.

The 67th edition of the Sorority, at a mile for freshman fillies, has attracted a field of eight.

"She's a very fast filly and she showed talent from day one," Reid said. "She has the pedigree for it. We trained her big sister to a championship. We're hoping for the same for her little sister."

After winning at first asking June 14 at Parx Racing, Vedareo was fifth in the Schuylerville—with plenty of excuses. She will be trying to go beyond six furlongs for the first time in her career in the Sorority.

"She stumbled really badly coming out of the gate in the Schuylerville and that really put her out of position," Reid said. "She got flustered too. It knocked her off her game.

"At the beginning of the Saratoga meet the track was very deep. I don't think she got enough out of her training down here to transfer it there. She got up there and it was a deep track and she wasn't ready for it and didn't handle it well at all."

A Swican Stables homebred, the Kentucky-bred Vedareo is a daughter of Daredevil  . Reid is expecting a big bounce back on Sunday, with Parx regular Frankie Pennington coming in for the ride.

"We wouldn't be showing up if we didn't expect a big race from her," Reid said. "We still have high expectations for her. We wanted to try her long just like her sister, so the Sorority fit perfectly into her schedule."

The Sorority field features four unbeaten horses, including the Norm Casse–trained Devious Dame , who is 2-for-2 and comes to the Sorority off of a win in the June 9 Astoria Stakes at Belmont Park. 

Other entries include Shiny Slam , Riding Pretty , Alma Rosa , Sea Maiden , Born Dapper , and Outofnothingatall .

"There are some good-looking horses in this race, which you would expect for $200,000," Reid said. "This is when they start separating themselves. Hopefully we'll fit in with that group."

Entries: Sorority S.

Monmouth Park, Sunday, August 21, 2022, Race 9

• STK
• 1m
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 4:15 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Shiny Slam (KY)	Carlos Olivero	117	Juan Carlos Avila	6/1
2	2Riding Pretty (NJ)	Paco Lopez	115	Eddie Owens, Jr	8/1
3	3Vedareo (KY)	Frankie Pennington	117	Robert E. Reid, Jr.	5/1
4	4Alma Rosa (KY)	Samy Camacho	117	Bernardo G. Lopez	3/1
5	5Sea Maiden (NJ)	Angel A. Rodriguez	115	Rory K. Huston	20/1
6	6Devious Dame (FL)	Joseph Talamo	121	Norm W. Casse	2/1
7	7Born Dapper (KY)	Hector Rafael Diaz, Jr.	117	Jonathan Thomas	4/1
8	8Outofnothingatall (KY)	Carlos Eduardo Rojas	117	Robertino Diodoro	10/1