Come Dancing gets first Grade 1 victory in Ballerina

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When Minit to Stardom scratched from the Grade 1 Ballerina early Saturday morning, trainer Carlos Martin thought his filly, Come Dancing, would be the main speed of the seven-furlong race for fillies and mares.

Jockey Javier Castellano, who had been working Come Dancing the last month but had not yet ridden her in a race, had other ideas. His plan was to let what he felt was the other speed horses in the race go and just get his filly in the clear and stalk.

Castellano’s plan worked to perfection as Come Dancing, who broke from post 2, joined the dueling leaders, Separationofpowers and Mia Mischief three wide after a modest opening quarter then proceeded to dominate the $500,000 Ballerina by 3 1/2 lengths at sun-splashed Saratoga.

Dawn the Destroyer rallied to be second by two lengths over Special Relativity. Separationofpowers and Mia Mischief finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Pacific Gale also scratched.

The win was the third from four starts this year for Come Dancing and earned her a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 2.

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Even without Minit to Stardom in the field, Castellano felt that Ricardo Santana Jr. was going to send Mia Mischief and perhaps one other horse would go. So when his filly broke a step slow and Special Relativity came over on Come Dancing, he was fine being last early.

Castellano guided Come Dancing into the clear and in the five-path while Separationofpowers went to the lead under Jose Ortiz and Mia Mischief went with her. The opening quarter was a slow 23.31 seconds. Castellano guided Come Dancing just to the outside of that pair and was within a half-length after a half-mile in 45.86 seconds.

Approaching the top of the lane, Come Dancing took control and with one smack from Castellano’s right-handed whip, she veered in, but opened up and was never threatened in the lane.

Come Dancing, a daughter of Malibu Moon owned by Marc Holliday’s Blue Devil Racing Stable, covered seven furlongs in 1:21.48 and returned $3.50 to win.

Castellano said when he came to the paddock he told Martin how he wanted to ride Come Dancing.

“Thank God they gave me the green light because some trainers want to be one way,” Castellano said. “That filly, she doesn’t have to be on the lead. I took my time, I got her to the outside, and then I’m in control of the race. I said ‘I won the race.’ “

Martin said he initially thought his filly would be on the lead, but was happy to let Castellano do what he wanted.

“When I saw her sitting out there in the third, she was running so comfortable and when she gets into that comfortable rhythm I knew she was going to have a lot left,” Martin said.

Come Dancing won for the seventh time in 12 starts and added the Ballerina – her first Grade 1 score – to victories in the Grade 3 Distaff and Grade 2 Ruffian earlier in the year.

For Martin, it was his first Grade 1 victory since Buy the Firm won the Top Flight at Aqueduct in 1991. Now, he will shoot for another in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, a race that Martin said would most likely be Come Dancing’s next start.

“She’s shown that she’s brilliant fresh,” Martin said. “If you give her time between races she fires her best shot. There’s nothing to fix at this point; just get here there safe and sound and she’ll be put on a good show.”