BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Dancing N Dixie will meet familiar rivals Buchu and Way to Be Marie when the Florida-bred filly goes in the Grade 3 Regret at Churchill Downs Saturday. Ten 3-year-old fillies will race a mile-and-an-eighth on the turf in pursuit of the winner’s share of the $250,000 purse.
Dancing N Dixie will be making her fourth consecutive start against graded competition while hoping to snap a three-race streak of third-place finishes.
The Mark Casse-trained gray filly made her second start of the year at Tampa Bay Downs on March 9, finishing third in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks won by Waskesiu going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the grass.
She then traveled to Keeneland for the Grade 2 Appalachian at a mile on the turf and rallied from last at the top of the stretch to finish less than a length shy of winner and Regret rival Buchu.
Most recently, Dancing N Dixie was third in the Grade 2 Edgewood over a yielding turf at a mile-and-a-sixteenth at Churchill on May 3, coming in behind winner Dynamic Pricing and Way to Be Marie.
Dancing N Dixie is owned by Gary Barber, Rocky Top Stable and LEMB Stables and has career earnings of $185,235 from two wins in nine starts with three thirds. She is by Neolithic, who stands at Pleasant Acres Stallions, out of Foolhearted Woman, by Uncaptured and was bred by Freddie Hyatt of Morriston, Fla.
She was a $35,000 purchase by White Type Stables out of the Blue River Bloodstock consignment at last year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales June Sale.
Jose Ortiz will ride from post four.
Since winning the Appalachian, Buchu was sixth in the aforementioned Edgewood in her last start.
She is the wealthiest among the Regret entrants with $546,595 accumulated from victories in the Grade 2 Jessamine on the Keeneland turf in October before finishing a solid sixth, less than three lengths behind winner Hard to Justify, in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf going a mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 3.
The daughter of Justify is trained by Philip Bauer for Rigney Racing LLC and has won three of eighth starts with two thirds.
She will be ridden by Martin Garcia from post six.
Way to Be Marie looks for her first stakes victory in the Regret for trainer Rob Atras and owner Robert V. LaPenta and Madaket Stables LLC. Madaket purchased her for $95,000 out of the GOP consignment at last year’s OBS Spring Sale.
She has won two of six career starts, including a first condition allowance race going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the Fair Grounds turf on March 21 just prior to the Edgewood.
The daughter of Not This Time has drawn the inside post one and Florent Geroux will ride.
Others entered are Everland with jockey Abel Cedillo, Gavea (Ger) and rider Julien Leparoux, Poolside With Slim (Ire) has Brian Hernandez Jr. named to ride, Hello Hollywood with Irad Oritz Jr. up, Sassy Princess and jockey Flavien Prat, Pin Up Betty will be ridden by Luis Saez and John Velazquez has the mount on Faith Understood.
Return to the May 29 issue of Wire to Wire
