Champion Female Sprinter La Verdad Retired

La Verdad, the champion female sprinter of 2015, has been retired from racing and has already been shipped to Kentucky to be bred to Medaglia d'Oro  , it was confirmed by trainer Linda Rice Feb. 1.

La Verdad, winner of the Jan. 9 Interborough Stakes at Aqueduct, was scheduled to make a final start Feb. 13 in the seven-furlong Barbara Fritchie Handicap (gr. II) at Laurel Park for Sheila Rosenblum's Lady Sheila Stable.

"We decided to stop on her as opposed to running her one more time," Rice said. "We got her back to the winner's circle after the Interborough, she won the Eclipse Award, and we decided that was the best time to stop on her and get her on her way to her new career."

La Verdad, a 6-year-old New York-bred mare by Yes It's True—Noble Fire, by Hook and Ladder, was shipped to Gainsborough Farm in Central Kentucky Jan. 30.

La Verdad made her first four starts for breeder Mark Vondrasek's Eklektikos before being sold privately to Rosenblum in late 2013. She won her first start for Rosenblum Dec. 19 of that year, then went 6-2-0 in 11 starts in 2014, winning the Distaff Handicap (gr. II) and four stakes for New York-breds, earning $632,400.

In 2015—her championship season—La Verdad won five of eight starts and earned $722,500. She rattled off wins in the six-furlong Distaff Handicap, 6 1/2-furlong Vagrancy Handicap (gr. III), and Dancing Renee Stakes for state-breds.

A win in Saratoga's Honorable Miss Handicap (gr. II) was disallowed following a positive test for clenbuterol. Wins in the Gallant Bloom Handicap (gr. II) and Iroquois Stakes for state-breds preceded a runner-up effort in the seven-furlong TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (gr. I).

In all, she went 16-3-0 in 25 starts—winning 11 stakes—and earned $1,563,200.

Lady Sheila Stables also owns La Verdad's half sister, Hot City Girl (by City Zip), who won last year's Charles Town Oaks (gr. III). Hot City Girl was second last Dec. 26 in Santa Anita's La Brea Stakes (gr. I).

"Hot City Gal we will be running the Barbara Fritchie instead of La Verdad," Rice said. "She doesn't have the form or the repertoire that La Verdad does at this point, but she has run well at seven furlongs and we are hoping for big things from her in the next two years."

Rice is looking forward to La Verdad's offspring, and other family members, joining her stable down the road. Rosenblum had entered her in last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale, but withdrew her.

"She was in the November sale to give her the option to sell, but Sheila is pretty attached to La Verdad and she decided to keep her," Rice said. "I'm happy about that. I purchased La Verdad's dam for a client."