Bridge Dancer brings back class to optional claimer

The nominal feature on the eight-race Monday card at Tampa Bay Downs comes as the fourth race, a $20,000 event for 3-year-old fillies who have never won a race other than maiden, claiming, or starter; who have never won two races; or for those entered for a $75,000 claiming tag. One of those running for the optional claiming price is Bridge Dancer, who has the most experience in the field with 10 starts – and who also sports stakes experience.

Bridge Dancer, who is co-owned and trained by Tim Hamm, won her maiden last year on the synthetic track at Presque Isle Downs, then went on to finish third in the Presque Isle Debutante. She subsequently finished third in the Sandpiper Stakes in December at Tampa, going the same six-furlong distance she will travel Monday. The Sandpiper winner, Lucrezia, went on to win the Suncoast Stakes and finish second in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks to divisional standout Swiss Skydiver. Sandpiper runner-up Two Sixty went on to win the Gasparilla Stakes.

Bridge Dancer has won once from four starts this year, winning an allowance by six lengths in February at Tampa. Scott Spieth, who was aboard the filly for her maiden victory last year, gets back aboard Monday, and they have drawn the outside post in the field of six.

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The experienced Bridge Dancer’s back class makes her a solid litmus test for a quartet of lightly raced fillies who serve as her competition. Bucky’s Drama owns two wins and two seconds from five starts; Bourbon Rebellion is coming off a maiden win in her third start; the front-running Bahama Pearl, also in for the tag, has a win and two seconds in four starts; and Honey Mug has a win and a third from four starts.

Bucky’s Drama, who will be saddled by Mary A. Bennett, comes off those two wins, both in off-the-turf five-furlong sprints at Tampa. The speedy filly won her maiden by two lengths and then won an optional-claiming race by 4 1/4 lengths, defeating Honey Mug, who finished fourth. That win earned her a Beyer Speed Figure of 78, the top career number in this field. Only two others have cracked the 70 ceiling. Bridge Dancer earned a 70 in the Presque Isle Debutante, and Chick’s Shadow posted a 71 finishing fifth in a mile turf allowance at Tampa.

Monday’s Tampa Bay card also includes five claiming races, with purses ranging from $16,000 to $10,000, and is rounded out by two maiden-claiming races.