Piedi Bianchi Narrowly Takes Correction

SOUTH OZONE PARK, NY – After successfully returning from a 365-day layoff last time out, Piedi Bianchi found herself back in the winner’s circle yet again on Saturday, this time after taking the $100,000 Correction Stakes at Aqueduct.

Breaking from post 5 at odds of 3/1 under Jorge Vargas, Jr., Piedi Bianchi trailed in fifth early while Sea Sparkle posted opening fractions of :22.94 and :47.64. Put to a drive at the 1/4 pole, Piedi Bianchi tipped out to run four-wide at the top of the stretch.

The 7/5 favorite Kept True took the lead off of the far turn and looked home free for a moment, but past the 1/16 pole, she began to grow leg-weary. Piedi Bianchi led the cavalry that wore her down late.

Getting up in the shadow of the wire, the Carlos Martin trainee won a four-way photo finish by a head. Piedi Bianchi completed the 6-furlong sprint over the fast main track in a final time of 1:13.51.

“It was a perfect trip,” said Vargas, Jr. “I’ve been working this filly the past two weeks and she’s been doing amazing. I was just hoping she wouldn’t bounce off her last race. She ran pretty hard last time. I was really hoping for an effort like that. She gave me that last kick when they came to her on the outside. She just dug in and put her head in front.”

Slimey edged Kept True, Bridlewood Cat, and Sea Sparkle by a head, a neck, and a 1/2-length, respectively, to fill the top five slots. Nisha was another 1/2-length back in sixth, while 12 further lengths back came the non-threatening I’mnotshyi’llbuy to complete the order of finish.

Piedi Bianchi’s win was her second straight following a local allowance score on January 26 to improve her record to 14-4-3-3 with $458,100 earned for co-owners Jay Oringer, Jack Bick, and Madaket Stables. The Indiana-bred 5-year-old daughter of Overanalyze’s previous win came at Indiana Grand Race Course against fellow state-breds in the 2018 Frances Slocum Stakes.

“I thought she was in good shape pretty much the whole way,” Martin said. “I got a little concerned when she kicked, and then they kicked on and it looked like she was grinding it out, but the way it was setting up with those four horses in front of her, I thought she was going to blow them away.”

Piedi Bianchi returned $8.10 to win, $4.30 to place, and $2.90 to show. Slimey brought back $5.40 to place and $2.80 to show, while Kept True paid $2.40 to show.