'Highweight' Appears La Verdad's Final Race

Lady Sheila Stable's La Verdad, a winner of 15 of 23 starts for earnings of more than $1.5 million, could make her final start in the $250,000 Fall Highweight Handicap (gr. III) at Aqueduct Racetrack Nov. 26.

La Verdad, a 5-year-old mare by Yes It's True   out of the Hook and Ladder mare Noble Fire, was bred in New York by Eklektikos Stable. She had a busy week in late October when she easily won the Oct. 24 Iroquois Stakes for state-bred mares, and week later ran a lights-out second in the seven-furlong TwinSpires.com Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I) for trainer Linda Rice.

She's the only female entered in the six-furlong Fall Highweight, in which weights are assigned. Salutos Amigos, owed by trainer David Jacobson and Southern Equine Stables, will carry high weight of 134 pounds, followed by Antonino Miuccio's Palace   at 133, and La Verdad at 127.

Rice, who also trains Palace, the third-place finisher in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Nov. 14, said La Verdad held up well despite her busy schedule.

"There were a lot of tough decisions for a couple weeks going into (Empire) Showcase Day and the Breeders' Cup," Rice said. "With all the moving parts—the Breeders' Cup payment because she wasn't nominated, the seven furlongs, facing the colts or the fillies—after all was said and done, we were pleased with the path we chose."

La Verdad finished seventh in the 2014 Fall Highweight, which was won by Salutos Amigos.

"Cutting back to six furlongs is obviously a good thing for her," Rice said. "Against the colts, it's questionable. Last year didn't go well for us, but I think that she's in much better form right now."

La Verdad has won five of six career starts at Aqueduct, with her only loss in last year's Fall Highweight.