Saratoga Springs, NY — Lady Dela Renta A (Well Said) made her local debut a winning one in the Thursday (Oct. 24) feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel.

Trainer Jose Godinez has often brought New Zealand and Australian invaders to town to compete in Opens over the last handful of years and his newest revelation Lady Dela Renta A impressed in Thursday’s $18,000 Fillies and Mares Open.

Lady Dela Renta A never suffered an anxious moment before pacing away from her rivals to stop the timer in 1:52.4. Melissa Simser-Iovino photo.

The field was reduced to five after a scratch and Lady Dela Renta A wound up as the public’s 2-5 betting favorite as she marched out to the early lead in the feature. Leading driver Billy Dobson got the invader to the top in a first quarter in :27 before reaching the half in :56.1.

Lady Dela Renta A never suffered an anxious moment before pacing away from her rivals to stop the timer in 1:52.4 to record the win in her local debut. Longshot Hilaria (Brett Crawford) got the pocket trip behind the winner and wound up as a clear-cut second-place finisher while Bye Bye Felicia (Mark Beckwith) finished third.

Lady Dela Renta A’s win was her ninth on the season and fifth since coming over to the U.S. from her native Australia. Paying just $2.80 to win on Thursday, Lady Dela Renta A, who led an exacta that returned $22.40, became the fourth Godinez-trained distaffer to win the Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga in 2019 but the first since May.

The 5-year-old mare is owned by Blindswitch Racing Stable and Dolne Farm Services.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a first post time set for 6:45 p.m.