Viadera Returns to Defend De La Rose Title

Juddmonte homebred Viadera (GB) returns to action following an eight-month hiatus to defend her title in the Aug. 8 $120,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose Stakes for older fillies and mares going one mile over the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course. Trained by Chad Brown, Viadera has not raced since capturing the Nov. 29 Matriarch Stakes (G1T) at Del Mar. The 5-year-old daughter of Bated Breath (GB) will attempt to become the first back-to-back De La Rose winner. Unbeaten in five starts at one mile, Viadera previously raced in Europe, where she won twice at the distance before moving to Brown's stable last year. Viadera won the 2020 De La Rose in her second North American start last year when collaring stablemate Noor Sahara (IRE) to win by a neck, leading a Brown-trained exacta. Viadera notched graded stakes prosperity next out in the Noble Damsel Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park before shipping out west for a game victory in the Matriarch over a top notch field of turf fillies and mares. "It's been a little frustrating with her getting such a late start to the year; she's been ready to run for quite a while," Brown said. "Her race was rained off the turf a month ago. Here we are getting started a little later to the races, but hopefully she has a good second half of the season." Viadera has been breezing consistently up to the De La Rose, clocking five-eighths in 1:00.76 July 31 on the Oklahoma turf course at Saratoga. Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 3. Brown also sends out Peter Brant's graded stakes winner Regal Glory, who was last seen enduring a troubled trip in the June 5 Longines Just a Game Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park. The 5-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom was out of position early and rank up the backstretch but appeared full of run approaching the far turn and closed late to get fourth. During her sophomore season, Regal Glory secured two graded stakes wins at the Spa in the Lake George (G3T) and Lake Placid (G2T). Last year, she added a third graded stakes win to her ledger in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf (G3T). "She had a horrendous trip in there, a real nightmare," Brown recalled of her Just a Game effort. "She broke badly and just had a real rough trip. She seems to have come out of it well. She's definitely shown an affinity for the course." Jose Ortiz rides from post 7. Stonestreet Stables' Hendy Woods seeks her second stakes win for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. The daughter of Uncle Mo scored in last year's Indiana Grand Stakes at its namesake track en route to notching graded stakes black type when second in the Edgewood Stakes Presented by Forcht Bank (G2T) at Churchill Downs. A winner of her 2021 bow at the Louisville oval, Hendy Woods was a last out fourth in the June 12 Old Forester Mint Julep Stakes (G3T). "We've been running against some tough ones," Casse said. "She should be very competitive. She's training well and looks good." Tyler Gaffalione rides from post 1.