Lady Eli Tack-Walking in Florida

Undefeated 3-year-old filly Lady Eli, continuing her recovery from laminitis, arrived at trainer Chad Brown's shedrow at the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida Nov. 29, and Brown is thrilled to have her.

"I couldn't be happier with how she looks," said the trainer, who has guided Lady Eli (Divine Park—Sacre Coeur, by Saint Ballado) to six consecutive victories, three last year and three this season. After winning the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (gr. I) July 4, Lady Eli stepped on a nail returning from the test barn and subsequently began showing laminitic changes in both front feet.

She remained at Brown's Belmont barn until late September, when she was sent to rehab at the Justice family's Dell Ridge Farm near Lexington.

"She is doing some tack-walking now with a rider on her back, and so far she is enjoying that," Brown said. "Dr. Bryan Fraley has been working with her feet since this started, and they look outstanding. Her X-rays look perfectly normal. There is no evidence of this episode, which is remarkable.

"Her condition looks excellent. She's trotting perfectly sound on the shank. She's back to being her old self: sweet but territorial. We're thrilled with her."

Brown stopped short of giving a timetable for Lady Eli to head to the training track, other than to say: "Eventually. There is no date on the calendar. I'm just going to take it week to week with her."

Campaigned by Sheep Pond Partners, Lady Eli has won five stakes including last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT) and has shown a remarkable turn of foot that has garnered her an extensive fan base. Bred by Catesby Clay and his Runnymede Farm, Lady Eli has banked $1,449,800 and has won from distances ranging from one mile to 1 1/4 miles.

Des Ryan, who manages Dell Ridge Farm, agreed that Lady Eli had not lost one bit of her attitude in recovery.  "She's very dominant and lets you know who's boss," Ryan said. "She has a superiority about her. She's a pleasure to be around, but at the same time she's a strong-willed woman.

"All credit to Chad; we just followed up on what he'd been doing before she arrived. Dr. Fraley has been with her since the beginning. We gradually increased her turn-out time. She grazed and we pampered her. And now we're proud of her leaving, and pretty much in regular shoes.

"We're excited to get her back to Chad and follow her from here. It's a sad story that now is turning back into hopefully a great story that will give us something to talk about."