BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred Spring Dancer extended her winning streak to three with a hard-fought victory in the $135,000 Majestic Overnight Stakes at Oaklawn Park Sunday, giving the 4-year-old daughter of The Big Beast her first career black-type victory in the six-furlong test. Ridden by Francisco Arrieta, Spring Dancer won against five other fillies and mares, 4-years-old and older, that had never won a stakes.
Jockey Erik Asmussen had Anakarina, the 5-2 second choice, on clear lead ahead of Spring Dancer in second through splits of :22.23 and :45.55 as 8-5 favorite Ervadean chased in third. Spring Dancer used an inside trip to join Anakarina with a quarter mile to race and those two went head and head down the stretch, leaving Ervadean three lengths back. Spring Dancer stuck a neck in front of Anakarina at the wire in 1:09.93 on the fast track while Anakarina was still two-and-a-quarter lengths clear of Ervadean in third. Pistol, and Florida-breds R Pretty Kitty and Dream Concert completed the order of finish.
Spring Dancer paid $10.40 to win.
Trained and co-owned by Randy Morse with Randy Patterson, Joe Morgan and Sam M. Vogel, Spring Dancer has won now won four of her last five since breaking her maiden going five furlongs on the Churchill Downs turf in November. In her next three starts, all at Oaklawn, she was seventh in a six-furlong allowance race on December 14 then won by three lengths under identical conditions on January 2. She came back to take a second condition, $62,5000 optional claiming on February 22 before winning Sunday.
Spring Dancer earned $78,975 plus a $4,000 Export Incentive for breeders Erich Brehm and Chuck Hovitz paid directly by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association. Her career record stands at four wins with three seconds and a third in 11 starts with earnings of $334,885.
Patterson bought Spring Dancer for $200,000 at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale of 2-year-olds in training where she was consigned by Tom McCrocklin. She is also a graduate of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales 2023 October Yearling Sale where Champion Equine took her for $35,000 out of Lisa McGreevy’s Abbie Road Farm consignment.
Spring Dancer is out of the Include mare Spring Included, winner of the 2015 Carousel and Spring Fever Stakes at Oaklawn. A half-sister to Grade 1-placed Pulsion, Spring Included is a dam of six starters, all winners, from eight foals. She has an unnamed yearling filly by Essential Quality and was bred to Constitution in 2025.
