Come Dancing ends win drought, takes Honorable Miss

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Grade 1 winner Come Dancing asserted her class edge to register her first victory in nearly a year by rallying to a popular 3/4-length decision over speedy Florida invader Lady’s Island in Sunday’s $150,000 Honorable Miss at Saratoga.

Come Dancing, who captured four graded stakes including the Grade 1 Ballerina in 2019, had gone winless in just three starts this season coming into the Grade 2 Honorable Miss. And some questioned whether the daughter of Malibu Moon might have lost a step or two at the age of 6. But trainer Carlos Martin was confident Come Dancing was moving in the right direction coming off her fourth-place finish behind Serengeti Empress in defense of her title in the Ballerina four weeks earlier.

With Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard her for the first time since the Beldame almost two years ago, Come Dancing rated within easy striking distance of the rapid pace set by Lady’s Island, who posted splits of 21.64 seconds and 43.81 for the opening half. Come Dancing saved ground down the backstretch, angled out three wide at the top of the stretch, rallied to overtake the leader inside the sixteenth marker and was edging clear at the end.

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Lady’s Island, a former $16,000 claimer who had won 11 of her previous 14 starts, quickly sprinted clear from Blamed, angled well off the rail in early stretch, continued willingly down the center of the course but proved no match for the winner while easily second-best. She finished 2 3/4 lengths in front of Blamed, who prompted the early running before finishing a tiring third in the field of seven fillies and mares.

Blue Devil Racing Stable owns Come Dancing, who increased her career earnings to just under $1.2 million with her win in the Honorable Miss. Her final time for six furlongs over the fast track was 1:08.74. She paid $4.70.

“I was happy to see Irad was able to get her to break and settle and he had her in the clear when he made his move,” Martin said. “I just wanted to see the old Come Dancing give us the kind of run, and show the kind of champion she is, after a lot of naysayers had been saying she had lost a step. I’m very gratified that Mark (Holliday) brought her back for another year, and hopefully she can finish the year strong, and we can be vindicated.”

Martin was asked whether he was worried about turning Come Dancing back to six furlongs in the Honorable Miss for the first time since early in her career.

“She trained well, she blew out sharp, I was happy the way she trained into the race,” Martin said. “Last year we went in a little bit last-minute to California (for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint). Maybe this year we do it a little different. Go in fresh to the Breeders’ Cup and get to Keeneland a little early for the race.”