Bolt's Broad brings some stakes credentials into Pike Place Dancer

Bolt’s Broad, who starts in Saturday’s $75,000 Pike Place Dancer Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on turf at Golden Gate Fields, has had a season marked by an event unprecedented in California racing.

Bolt’s Broad won a maiden special weight race at Del Mar in her second career start on Sept. 9, but was disqualified from the first-place purse of $60,000 on Oct. 10 after jockey Drayden Van Dyke was penalized for excessive use of the whip.

Van Dyke was cited for using his whip 11 times, five times over the limit, a violation of Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority rules enacted in July. The incident was the first time in California racing that a purse was redistributed because of a whip violation under HISA rules. Van Dyke was fined $960 and suspended three days, which were served in September, for the infraction.

:: Breeders' Cup Pre-Entry PPs Now Available - Exclusively with a BC Package

The day before the ruling was issued, Bolt’s Broad finished third at 43-1 in the Grade 3 Surfer Girl Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita. Ridden by Van Dyke, Bolt’s Broad closed from sixth in a field of eight to come within two lengths of race winner Comanche Country at the wire.

Comanche Country was pre-entered earlier this week for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 4.

Bolt’s Broad, owned by Mick and Wendy Ruis and trained by their daughter Shelbe, retained her status as a maiden after the disqualification.

By Bolt d’Oro, Bolt’s Broad is the only entrant in the Pike Place Dancer field that has placed in a turf stakes. Frank Alvarado rides Bolt’s Broad for the first time. Van Dyke is riding at Santa Anita on Saturday.

The Pike Place Dancer, run at a mile, drew a field of eight. Bolt’s Broad is not the only maiden with attractive credentials.

Jennifer’s d’Light, trained by Michael McCarthy, was a game fourth in a maiden special weight at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 2, leading to the stretch before losing by three-quarters of a length.

On the same program at Santa Anita, Ami Please led throughout a maiden special weight at a mile on turf, holding on by a neck in her second start and turf debut.

Both Jennifer’s d’Light and Ami Please set relatively slow paces that day, and are unlikely to do so in the Pike Place Dancer. Juana Gallo, the winner of three sprints on dirt on the Northern California fair circuit, is likely to show speed from the rail for jockey Santos Rivera in her turf debut and first start a mile.

Sally’s Sassy should be near the front. She closed from fourth in a field of nine to record a 12-1 upset in a maiden special weight at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar on Aug. 25, but faded from the lead to finish 10th of 11 behind Comanche Country in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf at a mile on Sept. 10.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.