Buy Me a Drink takes big leap into Pike Place Dancer

At 10 a.m. on Wednesday, trainer Jedd Josephson still had not decided whether he would enter the undefeated Buy Me a Drink in Saturday’s $75,000 Pike Place Dancer at Golden Gate Fields.

“It might come up light, so we’ll see,” he said.

When only four other 2-year-old fillies were signed up for the one-mile turf race, Josephson decided to run.

Buy Me a Drink is the only runner in the field with two wins, but the wins came in a bottom-level $12,500 maiden claimer and a starter-allowance race, both sprints. It’s asking a lot of a horse to step up into a stakes from a starter allowance, but Buy Me a Drink’s Beyer Speed Figures fit well in the field. She is trying turf for the first time, having won her debut on Golden Gate’s Tapeta and her second start on dirt at Pleasanton.

The other four in the field each have won a maiden special weight, Tapped and Sweet Rafaela at first asking. Simmy’s Temple and Noble Dancer, both from the Doug O’Neill barn, have made all their starts on turf and have stakes experience.

Tapped, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, may end up favored off a win at Santa Anita in her only start. She showed little early speed in the six-furlong sprint on dirt, then unleashed a strong closing kick to win by a nose.

Pike Place Dancer (race 6)

Key Contenders

Buy Me a Drink, by Atticus

Beyers: 68-61

◗ Her sire, Atticus, was a very fast turf miler. She’s a half-sister to Hot Kiss, who won a stakes at Woodbine this year.

◗ She has worked steadily for her first route and had a five-furlong bullet in 59 seconds for her final prep.

Tapped, by Tapit

Beyer: 76

◗ Mike Smith, aboard for her debut, is named to ride Saturday.

◗ Hollendorfer shows a positive ROI with turf first-timers.

◗ Her dam won a Grade 3 stakes but failed to win in three starts on turf.

Simmy’s Temple, by Royal Applause

Last 3 Beyers: 64-59-65

◗ She’s made all five of her starts on turf, one in England and the other four in the U.S.

◗ She won a maiden race going a mile on turf at Del Mar in August and subsequently finished eighth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf there in September and sixth in the Surfer Girl at Santa Anita on Oct. 10.

◗ Her stablemate Noble Dancer ran ninth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.