Born to Dance turned out pretty nicely for owner Parra

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Born to Dance is the kind of success story to which many owners aspire with a horse. Purchased as a yearling for about $10,000, she has gone on to earn $577,519.

Born to Dance was retired with a suspensory injury last month, after being pulled up during the running of the $100,000 Valid Expectations at Lone Star Park on May 29.

"She was just a great race mare," said owner Ro Parra. "She always, always tried. She sprinted and she went two turns. She was terrific."

Born to Dance won 11 of 38 starts, and finished second eight times and third eight times. Foaled in Michigan, she made a splash at Great Lakes Downs as a 2-year-old in 2001, when she won five straight races by a combined 43 1/2 lengths.

From there, Born to Dance tested the stakes waters around the country, racing from Michigan to northern and Southern California to Kentucky, where in 2003 she ran third in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Distaff. For most of her career, she was trained by James Jackson.

Born to Dance will now be part of Parra's broodmare band. She is a daughter of Service Stripe and the stakes-winning mare Guard Dance.

"I bought her as a yearling," he said. "I think I paid $10,000 for her, something along those lines. I bought her privately.

"She'll be bred to one of my stallions for the next several years," he said. "In fact, she was bred about a month ago or so. I'm not really sure whether she is in foal or not, but she was bred to Even the Score."

Even the Score, a Grade 2 winner of $751,629, is one of several stallions Parra has in Kentucky, which is the eventual destination for Born to Dance. She is currently in Texas.

Parra's farm in Kentucky is home to such stallions as Sultry Song, Scrimshaw and Talk Is Money.

Great Hunter to Bashford Manor?

Great Hunter, a promising 2-year-old who won his maiden Thursday night at Lone Star, could move into graded stakes company for his next start. Trainer Joe Petalino said Great Hunter is being considered for the Grade 3, $150,000 Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs on July 8.

Great Hunter was a 1 3/4-length winner over a nice field after rallying from fifth and taking the lead in the stretch under jockey Quincy Hamilton.

"I liked his race," said Petalino. "He's just been pretty professional the way he's been doing everything."

Petalino said Great Hunter is bred to improve with distance. He is a son of Aptitude, who in 2000 was the runner-up in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. Great Hunter's dam is Zenith, a stakes winner of $205,186.

Waupaca works for Dallas Turf Cup

Waupaca, who earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 98 when he won the $40,000 Connecting Terms last out at Lone Star, worked six furlongs in 1:13.60 here Friday morning. He is preparing for the Grade 3, $200,000 Dallas Turf Cup, which will be run at Lone Star on Saturday, June 17.

The Dallas Turf Cup, at 1 1/8 miles, has been awarded graded status for the first time. Nominations for the race closed Thursday. Waupaca is trained by Donnie Von Hemel.

* Satellite and Back Bay Baron, who most recently finished third and fourth in a six-furlong allowance May 7, meet again Sunday in the featured fifth race, a first-level allowance at six furlongs. The May 7 allowance went in 1:09.80.

Before that race, Back Bay Baron was second in an allowance to Muni High Yield, who was to start as a leading contender in the $50,000 Airline at Louisiana Downs on Saturday. Jamie Theriot will ride Back Bay Baron for trainer Steve Asmussen. Cliff Berry will ride Satellite for trainer Cody Autrey.