Truth Hurts wins the Perfect Sting Stakes at Belmont Park.
Truth Hurts, trained and owned by Chad Summers with J Stables, scored a dominant win in the $ 100,000 Perfect Sting Stakes on Saturday for senior mares and mares running a mile across a sloppy and sealed main stretch at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY. were driven
The eighth run of the Perfect Sting was originally scheduled for a mile on the Widener lawn course before bad weather forced the race onto the main course, resulting in the scratches from Honey Cake, Princess Grace, Sunset Kiss, Madita and 4/5 acres Line favorite Viadera.
Truth Hurts, who only raced for the main course, added blinkers and the services of Belmont Stakes winner Luis Saez to secure her first stakes win on her fifth attempt.
On several staged inserts, Piedi placed Bianchi broke vigilantly under Flavien Prat, marking the quarter mile in 23.88 seconds and the half mile in 47.54 seconds under external pressure from Truth Hurts on the sloppy and sealed main stretch.
Velvet Crush, who only started on the main track, the 3-5 Mutuel favorite under Jose Ortiz, chased the pacesetters from third position into the corner when Truth Hurts took over from Piedi Bianchi and took a three-fold advantage on the stretch call.
Truth Hurts, the longest shot on the board at 8-1, continued to find more on the track, bringing home a 5 3/4 winner in a recent time of 1: 37.48.
Piedi Bianchi completed the Exacta, three lengths ahead of Velvet Crush. Hogan’s Holiday, who had been behind the whole time, completed the target sequence.
Summers said the gear change proved beneficial.
“She just kept getting better and we were just waiting for the right time to put the blinkers on,” said Summers. “We put it on her last week and by that point we were ready for a grant race in Saratoga, but we saw the weather forecast here. We thought if it worked we’d risk it, and then we played the waiting game.
“My filly was done and we got the call around 12 or so to have it taken off the lawn,” added Summers. “Everything went well. Luis could come in and it worked. “
Saez said he felt safe the entire time.
“It’s broken pretty well. It was right behind the speed, ”Saez said. “At the three-eighths [pole], she felt very comfortable. She got off the track and reacted very well. “
The 4-year-old Tonalist-Bay first graduated from the Aqueduct Circuit in December 2019 and followed in January 2020 with an intelligent victory on the same track.
Bred in Ontario by William D. Graham, Truth Hurts continued her 3-year year off-board in the Busanda Stakes at Big A and Audubon Oaks at Ellis Park before a good third in Bison City at Woodbine in September . Truth Hurts ended a busy second season finishing eighth in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes 2nd grade in Pimlico.
Truth Hurts, a $ 35,000 purchase in the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, scored its first win in four starts this season. She won $ 55,000 and returned $ 18 for a $ 2 winning ticket.
Summers said Truth Hurts is getting in shape and will take advantage of opportunities at the Saratoga summer get-together.
“We tried the Black-Eyed Susan and she was maybe a little too aggressive at the time,” said Summers. “We gave her some time off afterwards and it was all about getting her back in shape. She made some good moves.
“You are now losing the two-other-than condition, but we’ll regroup and go from here,” Summers continued. “As the prestigious meeting in Saratoga is approaching, there are still places available. So we’ll see again if she belongs in the upper echelons when the race gets tougher. “
Live races will continue on Sunday in Belmont with an Independence Day card of 10 races highlighted by the $ 100,000 stakes in Manila in Race 9 and the $ 250,000 stakes of John A. Nerud Class 2 in Race 10 becomes. The first post is 1:00 p.m. Eastern.
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