Champion Nanda Dea Faces Tough Return in the First Lady Stakes

The daughter of Fortify will make her first Grade I appearance in the U.S. when she lines up in Saturday’s one-mile First Lady S. at Keeneland, returning from an eight-month layoff

Nanda Dea, unraced since February, will put her U.S. unbeaten record on the line this Saturday / KEENELAND

The long-awaited comeback is finally here for Argentine champion Nanda Dea (Fortify), who will face the toughest test of her career Saturday at Keeneland in the $800,000 GI First Lady S. over a mile on turf, part of a blockbuster card on the second day of the fall meet.

Racing in the U.S. for Happy Friday LLC, the satellite of Haras Santa Inés, the mare returns after an eight-month absence that included surgery and a painstaking preparation, and she will be thrown straight into deep waters against a world-class cast.

Trained at Keeneland by Ignacio Correas IV, Nanda Dea drew post three and will once again be guided by jockey José Ortiz, who partnered her in both of her U.S. starts to date—both wins. It was over this same course where she debuted in the States just under a year ago, and she followed that effort with a hard-fought victory in the Albert M. Stall Memorial S. (L) at Fair Grounds in February, where she did everything she could to get beat but still held on.

Hopes were soaring after that, but injury intervened, sending her to the sidelines and requiring surgery. Her trainer took his time, and the bay has been sparkling in the mornings leading up to her return. Just four days ago she breezed five furlongs in :59.80, the best of 12 works at the distance, after earlier drills of a half-mile in :47.60 and six furlongs in 1:14.40, each as impressive as the next.

Now six, Nanda Dea has won eight of 10 starts, her only defeats coming in a maiden and in the G1 Copa de Plata. Her résumé also includes top-level success in the G1 Gran Premio San Isidro against males, as well as wins in the G2 Clásico Omega, G2 Clásico Ecuador—also versus males—and the G3 Clásico Eudoro J. Balsa.

The First Lady will be a stern test, with the race oversubscribed at 12 starters and four on the also-eligible list. Leading the opposition is Dynamic Pricing (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), part of Chad Brown’s formidable team, who has won three of her last four, including the GI Just a Game S., GIII Beaugay S., and the Perfect Sting S., her only blemish a third in the GI Diana S.

Also entered are Choisya (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), winner of the GI Jenny Wiley S. at Keeneland before finishing fourth in the Diana; Heredia (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}), fresh off a GII Yellow Ribbon H. victory at Del Mar; Ozara (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), last-out winner of the GII Ballston Spa S. at Saratoga; and Simmering (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), who arrives from Europe with G2 and G3 scores and classic placings, including a third in the G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Other graded winners lining up include Pin Up Betty (Constitution), Raqiya (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), Simply In Front(Summer Front), Segesta (Ghostzapper), Great Generation (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), and Jody’s Pride(American Pharoah).