BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Withdrawn from Saturday’s Session 5 at this week’s Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, Florida-bred Dancing N Dixie is instead headed to trainer Mark Casse’s barn at Woodbine Racetrack for the Grade 3 Maple Leaf at Woodbine Racetrack. Seven fillies and mares will race a mile-and-a-quarter on the turf in the CA$150,000 Maple Leaf.
Set at 8-1 on the morning line, Dancing N Dixie looks for her first win in her fifth start this year with her best race coming when second to Let’s Go Koko in the $75,000 Powder Break at Gulfstream Park on May 31. Coming from five lengths off the pace, she just missed fellow Florida-bred and next-out winner Let’s Go Koko by a half-length after a mile on the grass.
In two races since however, she finished out of the money in an upper level, $75,000 optional claiming going nine furlongs on the turf at Colonial Downs in July and more recently when sixth in the Grade 3 Matron at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the synthetic main track at Woodbine on Sept. 13.
The 4-year-old daughter of Neolithic, who stands in Florida at Pleasant Acres Stallions, was last year’s Florida-bred champion turf female after winning the $233,000 Tepin going a mile on the Churchill Downs grass in June and finishing third in four graded stakes at Saratoga, Churchill, Keeneland and Tampa Bay Downs.
Dancing N Dixie is out of Foolhearted Woman, by Uncaptured and was bred in Florida by the late Freddie Hyatt. She has earned $407,083 in a career with three wins, a second and fourth thirds.
Patrick Husbands will ride Dancing N Dixie from post three.
Casse also trains 2-1 morning line favorite Blitz, who looks to break a string of seconds in her last two races. After winning a non-winners of two, $50,000 optional claiming on the all-weather course at Woodbine in July, Blitz was a runner-up in a second condition, $50,000 optional claiming on the inner turf at Woodbine on Aug. 29. In her last race, Blitz was a less than two lengths behind winner Candy Reward in the $100,000 HBPA Stakes going a mile-and-70-yards on synthetic at Presque Isle Downs on Oct. 6.
Blitz has post five and jockey Ryan Munger.
Rounding out the entries are Hurricane Clair with Eswan Flores in the irons, For Flying (Brz) will be guided by Sahin Civaci, Emma-Jayne Wilson has the call on Long Ago (GB), Queens Command (Ire) with Fraser Aebly aboard and Rafael Hernandez will have the reins on Sultana.
Return to the November 7 issue of Wire to Wire
