Come Dancing breezes for Grade 1 Ogden Phipps

ELMONT, N.Y. – Come Dancing, blow-out winner of the Grade 3 Distaff and Grade 2 Ruffian in two starts this year for trainer Carlos Martin, worked five furlongs in 59.80 seconds Wednesday morning over the Belmont Park training track. She is pointing to the Grade 1, $700,000 Ogden Phipps here June 8.

Belmont clockers had Come Dancing in splits of 12.60 seconds, three furlongs in 35.80, and caught her galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.80. Regular rider Manny Franco was up for the breeze.

“Manny said she couldn’t have felt any better,” Martin said. “She’s so deceptive. To see her come down the lane it looked, Is he just galloping her or is he breezing her? She came back with a good energy level, sound. Right now, I’m really happy where I am with her.”

Martin said that Come Dancing would likely have just one more breeze before the Phipps, a race that is likely to attract the Grade 1 Apple Blossom winner Midnight Bisou.

◗ Fog of War, who went 2 for 2 last year, including a victory in the Grade 1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine in September, heads a field of eight entered Wednesday for Saturday’s $100,000 Paradise Creek Stakes going seven furlongs on turf at Belmont.

Others entered include Dunph, Ian Glass, Mucho, Pole Setter, Pulsate, Strike Silver, and Uncapped.