Come Dancing achieves millionaire status with Gallant Bloom win

ELMONT, N.Y. – Come Dancing got a successful prep race in for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint by winning Sunday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap by 3 1/4 lengths at Belmont Park.

And while Come Dancing has won four graded stakes in five starts this year, it doesn’t mean trainer Carlos Martin won’t have some tweaking to do between now and Nov. 2.

After sitting behind dueling leaders Carrera Cat and Minit to Stardom through a quarter in 22.54 seconds and a half-mile in 44.99, Come Dancing made the lead in midstretch under Javier Castellano. Shortly after she did, Come Dancing began to lug in toward the rail. She did the same thing when she won the Grade 1 Ballerina last month at Saratoga.

It didn’t cost Come Dancing Sunday, as she was clear of Minit to Stardom who finished second.

Castellano said he wasn’t too concerned about it, but Martin said it will be something he examines between now and the Breeders’ Cup.

“I don’t know, she’s getting some weird habits as she gets older, I’ll go back and take a look and make sure we’re covering all our bases,” Martin said. “I’m not that concerned because I thought she really finished well and galloped out well, but anytime you see a great horse do something with her head or lug in or lug out that gives you some kind of cause to make sure everything’s on the up and up.”

Castellano said he didn’t try to correct Come Dancing from lugging in because he felt she was running well enough and didn’t want to fight her.

“I don’t know if it’s a bad habit or something else,” said Castellano, who noted Come Dancing lugged in during the Ballerina which she won by 3 1/2 lengths. “As soon as she passes horses she sees daylight and lugs in a little bit. I think it’s more of a bad habit than anything else because she did it twice.”

Come Dancing did carry 125 pounds in the Gallant Bloom yet still ran 6 1/2 furlongs in a sharp 1:14.96. She returned $2.50 as the 1-5 favorite.

Come Dancing, a 5-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon owned by Marc Holliday’s Blue Devil Racing Stable, improved her record to 8 for 13 and became a millionaire with career earnings of $1,046,700.

Minit to Stardom finished second by 2 1/4 lengths over Majestic Reason. Carrera Cat and Jc’s Shooting Star completed the order of finish.

While Come Dancing will be headed to the Breeders’ Cup, Martin said he isn’t sure if he would ship her to California early or do all his training here and then ship the week of the race.