Photo credit NYRA/Susie Raisher.

On January 16, Sheila Rosenblum stood on the stage at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida, clutching a statue of Eclipse, the legendary 18th century racehorse for which Thoroughbred racing’s highest awards are named.

Moments before, her six-year-old mare La Verdad had been named 2015 champion female sprinter, and if there had been any doubt before the Eclipse Awards ceremony, this distinction confirmed that Rosenblum, a relative newcomer to the sport, had arrived.

A former dancer and model, Rosenblum bought her first racehorse in 2012 and got her first win three years later. Her initial forays into the sport had not been auspicious: the first horse she bought ended up in an ownership dispute that saw her returning the horse to its original owner. Giving the sport another shot, she bought seven yearlings whose racing careers could barely charitably be called mediocre; she dissolved the partnership and cut her losses.

And then came La Verdad.

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