Ladyledue turned back Canadian invader What R the Odds and eight other 3-year-old fillies Sunday with a 1 ¾-length victory in the $50,000 Federal Way Handicap at Emerald Downs.
Ladyledue is now unbeaten in four starts — all stakes races — and tied the track record of four straight stakes victories to start a career set by Name for Norm in 1996. Owned by Jon Sather and trained by Bonnie Jenne, Ladyledue won the Knights Choice and Diane Kem stakes last year and the Inaugural Stakes and Federal Way Handicap this season.
With regular rider Ricky Frazier aboard, Ladyledue put away 7-5 betting favorite What R the Odds — a triple stakes winner at Hastings Racecourse — while turning for home, and then held off the closers late. Ladyledue ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:16 3/5 and paid $7.20, $4 and $3.
Seeking Ema, a 9-1 shot ridden by Juan Gutierrez, rallied from far back to snatch second place and returned $7.20 and $4.80. Still a maiden, Seeking Ema has now placed twice in stakes this season.
It was 1-¼ lengths back to Glo Bou Liza with Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo riding, and a $5.20 show payoff. Private Lesson finished fourth, and was followed by Especially Capable, Eyes On the Prize, What R the Odds, Where I Belong, Popular Date and Linovision.
Ladyledue earned $27,500 to increase her bankroll to $94,261. The track’s Top Juvenile Filly of 2008, the Washington-bred daughter of Slewdledo has made a seamless transition as a 3-year-old.
The Federal Way Stakes was supposed to be Ladyledue’s stiffest challenge yet, but she made it look easy on the front end. Breaking sharply from the No.2 post-position, Ladyledue maintained a short lead while setting fractions of :21 4/5 and :44 2/5 seconds.
However, just as it appeared the two favorites would square off in a virtual match race to the wire, What R the Odds began to weaken, and Ladyledue spurted well clear into the stretch. From there, the issue was never in doubt as Frazier piloted the classy sophomore filly to the finish line.
“No one came to her in the stretch, but if they did, I knew that she would come back,” Frazier said. “She just keeps getting stronger and stronger.”
Jenne, who has said Ladyledue is the best horse she’s ever trained, could send the undefeated filly into her first route test in the $50,000 Irish Day Handicap at one mile on June 14.
NOTES: The 2-1 combination was hot Sunday, producing four cold exactas including Ladyledue and Seeking Ema in the Federal Way Handicap. …Gallyn Mitchell rode four winners on the 10-race card, the fourth four-bagger at the 18-day-old meeting. Ricky Frazier is responsible for the other three four-win days. …Frazier settled for two wins Sunday and leads Mitchell 37-23 in the jockeys’ standings…Frazier has two stakes wins at the meet and is within one of Mitchell’s track record of 54 stakes wins by a jockey. …Apprentice Cassie Papineau became the fourth rider to hit the 20-win mark with a gate-to-wire score on King Congo ($10.60) in the nightcap…Connie Bouslaugh led the trainers with two wins. …Racing continues today with defending champion Wasserman facing nine foes in the $50,000 FSN Handicap at 6 ½ furlongs. First post is 2 p.m.
