Before trainer Wesley Ward made his historic raid on the Royal Ascot meeting with Jealous Again and before Rachel Alexandra won the Kentucky Oaks (G1) by 20 ¼ lengths, another American-based filly was near the top of my horses to watch list for 2009.
Striking Dancer, a three-year-old Smart Strike filly out of the Danehill (Ire) mare Dancing Shoes, made her 2009 debut in a turf allowance at Gulfstream Park on February 25. Steadied on the turn and momentarily trapped behind a wall of horses, Striking Dancer and jockey Kent Desormeaux shot up the inside, steered outside and ran down the leader with a burst of late energy.
Trainer Ken McPeek briefly toyed with taking Striking Dancer to compete in a European classic, but an ankle injury sent her to the bench. Now three works into her comeback, McPeek is targeting Saratoga for Striking Dancer’s return.
I recently caught up with McPeek and asked him what he thought of the filly he ferreted out of the sixth day of the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale for $110,000.
“She’s very good. We have to get her ready again, but she acts like she’s a graded stakes quality filly,” McPeek said. “We just have to get the time and get her ready. I think she will be competitive at a high level.”
Both of Striking Dancer's wins have come on grass, but McPeek thinks she has potential on dirt. He said he would have liked to run her in the Kentucky Oaks.
“I think she’d be fine on the dirt. We just haven’t had the opportunity to get her there,” McPeek said. “I think she might have given Rachel at least a test in the Oaks, but timing is everything and she just wasn’t ready.”
Striking Dancer was bred in Kentucky by Jess Jackson's Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings and was consigned by Warrendale Sales at the Keeneland September sale.
Striking Dancer (#4, green hat, blue polka dots)
Gulfstream, 2-25-09, Race 8
3 comments:
Honestly, I don't think any filly would have given Rachel Alexandra a run for her money in the Oaks....and I don't think they will now. But I enjoy the irony she was bred by Jackson.
That said, I hope she comes back strong! And there is nothing wrong with being an awesome turf mare. If she doesn't take to dirt, I hope they remember that.
Unfortunately this horse has been slowed by injury, a common occurrence in young horses and a major roadblock for a horse with potential. I feel this horse is exactly that, a 3 yr old horse with potential that never got a chance to develop and show the talent she may or may not have up to this point. Although this race replay shows a closing move that was somewhat impressive, you have to believe there was not much talent in the race(even money) and she had a money trip hugging the rail the whole race as it opened up in late stretch. The pace was nothing special and the close time was decent, for Gulfstream. I hope to see this horse take an easy road back gradually building up her stamina and race experience towards a decent stakes race and not make the same mistake other trainers do, bringing their horse back from injury directly into a tough stakes race, where they proceed to be bet down heavily and disappoint. Stick to the grass!!
Good analysis Pyro, although I am always impressed by horses that can start, stop,and restart, as she had to do in this race.
Regarding the quality of that field, a few have come back to run well:
SANDI'S READY won a turf allowance next out at GP.
BLUEGRASS PRINCESS has finished third in graded stakes on the turf at GP and BEL and won an allowance on the poly at KEE.
DIRECT LINE is 1-for-3 since, winning an allowance on the dirt at CD.
BAMBOLINA is 1-for-3 since, winning a turf sprint at CD.
JEHAN won a turf sprint at HOL and then finished second in consecutive turf stakes at HOL.
KIAWAH CAT is 1-for-3 since, winning a turf allowance at MTH and finishing second in a Grade 3 turf race at MTH.
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