Blue Dancer should make Breeders' Cup Juvenile field
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Blue Dancer, who won the $75,000 Ascot Graduation by a nose over Lord Rosberg on Oct. 13 at Hastings, will be taking an extreme jump up in class when he makes his next start in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita on Nov. 1.
Blue Dancer is last on the preference list of the 17 horses who were pre-entered in the 1 1/16-mile race, but according to Josh Christian, director of racing for the Breeders’ Cup, he is going to get into the 14-horse field.
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Trainer Greg Tracy was planning on turning out Blue Dancer for the winter after his win in the Ascot, but owners Craig Robertson (Shot in the Dark Racing Corp.) and Kelvin Godin (Derby Quest Farms) had other ideas.
“We half-seriously told Greg that if Blue Dancer won the Ascot, we should ship him directly south to Santa Anita,” said Robertson. “We don’t expect him to win, but he might be able to pick up something. Really, we’re doing it more for the experience than anything.”
“I was against the idea at first,” said Tracy. “But he’s sound, it won’t hurt him, and he has some talent. I am actually getting pretty excited about it.”
Blue Dancer, who arrived at Santa Anita last Saturday, will go into the Breeders’ Cup undefeated in four starts. Rico Walcott retains the mount.