Dance City
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| Barbara D. Livingston |
| Date | Track | Race | Finish | Chart | Distance | Time | BSF | Video |
| 5/21/11 | PIM | Preakness | 5th |  |
1 3/16 mile | 1:56.40 | 94 |  |
| 4/16/11 | OP | Arkansas Derby | 3rd | |
1 1/8 mile | 1:49.20 | 95 | |
Dance CityOwner: Estate of Edward P. Evans Auction: Homebred |
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PROFILE
By Ron Gierkink
STRENGTHS
This lightly raced Virginia-bred has improved his Beyer Speed Figure power significantly with each subsequent outing. He showed that he can handle an off track when he graduated over a sloppy/sealed strip at Gulfstream. Then, he took his show on the road to Oaklawn, where he was a prominent third in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, from which Nehro exited to finish second in the Kentucky Derby. His only other loss came when he ran second to future Wood Memorial runner-up Arthur’s Tale in his debut. His dam is a full sister to Grade 2 winner Dance Colony. His breeder has produced numerous top horses, most notably a Horse of the Year, Saint Liam, and Quality Road.
WEAKNESSES
He has done all of his running on or near the front end, and there should be a lively pace in the Preakness, something that may soften him up. He has yet to win a stakes and is eligible for a second-level allowance. His accomplished trainer has won a Kentucky Derby and a Belmont, but not a Preakness.
BETTING VALUE
Bettors shouldn’t accept anything less than 15-1 on him, unless some of the other speed doesn’t show up. Among those who are expected to run in the first flight, he might be the most likely to be in contention at the finish, so he should be used underneath in the trifecta and superfecta.
PEDIGREE ANALYSIS
By Dan Illman
Sire:
City Zip, a half-brother to Breeders’ Cup Classic champion Ghostzapper, was a quality runner in his own right, winning eight stakes races including the Grade 1 Hopeful at seven furlongs. A true sprinter, City Zip went 0-7 in route races.
The City Zips do very well on grass and seem at their most comfortable sprinting and at middle distances, but his son, Workin for Hops, successfully navigated the Preakness trip when winning the Grade 2 American Derby on grass. Another son, With a City, took the Grade 2 Lane’s End Stakes at nine furlongs on polytrack while City to City, a filly, won the Grade 2 La Providencia at nine furlongs on grass.
Dam:
Ballet Colony won three of nine lifetime starts and she did her best running around two turns. Two of her victories came at 1 mile and 70 yards while the other was at a flat mile. Ballet Colony is a half-sister to No Review, the winner of the Grade 1 Santa Barbara at 1 ¼ miles on turf. A full sister, Dance Colony, won a pair of Grade 2 sprints as a juvenile filly. Another Review, another half-brother to the dam, won the Grade 1 Californian at nine furlongs while full sister Colonial Review was multiple stakes-placed. Yet another half-sister, Rap and Dance, was stakes-placed routing on the main track while three-quarter sibling Pleasant Review was multiple stakes-placed.
This is the female family of Group 1 winner, and leading sire, Lyphard.
Dance City’s broodmare sire, Pleasant Colony, won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 1981.
Outlook:
Dance City’s pedigree boasts a dose of speed over a strong helping of class and stamina. Nine furlongs shouldn’t be out of the question for the lightly-raced Pletcher-trainee, but that extra sixteenth may be a small issue to overcome.