Dame Dorothy, La Verdad Top Gallant Bloom

Dame Dorothy, whose seven wins in 10 starts includes the Humana Distaff Stakes (gr. I), seeks a return to the winner's circle in the $300,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap (gr. II) after finishing sixth in the Ballerina (gr. I).



One of five graded stakes on the Sept. 26 card at Belmont Park, the Gallant Bloom, at 6 1/2 furlongs, drew a field of seven older fillies and mares.



A 4-year-old daughter of Bernardini   trained by Todd Pletcher for Bobby Flay, Dame Dorothy has been a model of consistency, with the Ballerina her only off-the-board placing en route to racking up $719,740 in earnings. A stalker, the filly chased the pace in the Ballerina as the 7-5 favorite before coming up empty under jockey Javier Castellano.



After winning the Humana Distaff despite being bumped at the start, Dame Dorothy returned to dig in for a game victory in the Bed o' Roses Handicap. (gr. III).



The 123-pound highweight is Lady Shelia Stable's millionaire La Verdad, whose gate-to-wire four-length win in the Honorable Miss Handicap (gr. II) at Saratoga Race Course was her fourth consecutive victory, all in stakes. The winner of 14 of 20 outings, with two seconds, the 5-year-old New York-bred daughter of Yes It's True   trained by Linda Rice has earned $1,170,700.



In addition to the Honorable Miss, La Verdad has used her front-running style to win back-to-back renewals of the Distaff Handicap (gr. II) at Aqueduct Racetrack, two of nine stakes won by the filly.



Castellano has been named on Whispering Oaks Farm's Street Story, the Bed 'o Roses runner-up who finished fifth in the Ballerina. A 4-year-old daughter of Street Cry, Street Story has won four stakes, including the Winning Colors and Victory Ride, both grade III, with four stakes placings.



Coming off a lengthy layoff is Joseph Shields' homebred Classic Point, a 6-year-old Flatter   mare who won a stretch duel for a neck victory in the Inside Information Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park in March, her most recent start. After finishing fifth in last year's Gallant Bloom, the mare won the restricted Punkin Pie Stakes and recorded her first graded stakes win in the Go For Wand (gr. III).