Sadie Lady has just enough left in tank to wire Correction field

Dennis Narlinger’s Sadie Lady waited an extra month to make her 2021 debut but made a triumphant return to the track, leading at every point of call and fending off Call On Mischief’s furious bid in the final jumps to capture Saturday’s $100,000 Correction by a head at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 81st running of the Correction for older fillies and mares going six furlongs featured all six starters looking to notch their respective first stakes wins. The New York-bred Sadie Lady took command from post 2 under Manny Franco following a slow start by pace threat Awesome Debate. Franco sent his charge to the front, where she posted an opening quarter-mile in 23.12 seconds, the half in 46.62 and three-quarters in 58.80 over the fast main track.

Sadie Lady, making her first start since besting optional claimers on December 18 at the Big A, was kept inside by Franco in the stretch, where she gamely pressed on as jockey Nik Juarez urged Call On Mischief up from the outside. Call On Mischief gained ground, nearly pulling even, before Sadie Lady won the head bob, hitting the wire in 1:11.98.

Juarez lodged an objection for interference in the stretch, but the stewards ruled no change.

Trainer Rob Atras, who netted his fourth win of the card, said he was hoping to get Sadie Lady back in the starting gate for the Broadway in February after the Freud mare won four of her seven starts in 2020. When the Broadway did not fill, Sadie Lady had to wait four more weeks to make her 5-year-old debut, but came through with Atras’ third stakes win of the Aqueduct winter meet.

“This filly gets very brave on the front,” Atras said. “She gets very strong and courageous on the front end. She showed that today.

“Going into today, I knew I had some live shots and all the horses are training very well,” he added. “So many things have to go right to win one race, never mind four, so I’m really grateful that it came together today. Anytime you win a race it’s special, especially in New York. It’s the mecca of racing and a tough place to win races.”

Off at 5-1, Sadie Lady returned $13 on a $2 win bet. Bred by JMJ Racing Stables, she improved to 7-0-3 in 18 starts, increasing her bankroll to $321,232.

“I was happy with the break because I knew the way she likes to run,” said Franco, who tallied his meet’s sixth stakes victory and third win on Saturday’s slate. “After that, I just needed to see where she took me and she got it done. She’s a great filly when she’s in front and that’s what we did. I was in front so I just tried to slow the pace down a little bit.

Maybe I brushed the other horse right at the wire,” he added. “I don’t think it made any difference.”

Call On Mischief, the longest shot on the board at 24-1, finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Kansas Kis for second. The 4-year-old Into Mischief filly, who was purchased for $250,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, earned her first stakes blacktype in her sixth attempt.

“I’m really, really pleased,” Juarez said. “I broke her maiden first out [in August 2019 at Monmouth Park]. She ran great today. She handled herself well coming from off the pace and had a really good turn of foot turning for home. With a little more real estate, I think she gets up there.”

Kansas Kis, trained by Ray Handal, struggled to find racing room late in the lane and settled for third.

“She was probably the best horse in the race, but that’s racing,” Handal said. “The rail has been good and she sat the good trip off the pace. It’s a little unfortunate that the [Jorge] Vargas horse [Awesome Debate] didn’t break as well. Manny recognized that early and put the breaks on us.”

Amuse, the even-money favorite who shipped in from California for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, completed the superfecta. Prairie Fire and Awesome Debate rounded out the order of finish. Jump for Joy was scratched.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Aqueduct with a nine-race card highlighted by the $100,000 Damon Runyon, a seven-furlong sprint for state-bred sophomores in Race 8. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern [note daylight saving time].