Come Dancing most impressive in winning Distaff Handicap

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Carlos Martin thought he had Come Dancing ready to run well in Friday’s Grade 3 Distaff Handicap off a 125-day layoff.

He didn’t think he had her ready to run that well.

After breaking alertly under Manny Franco, Come Dancing had a measured one-length lead after a half-mile in 46.68 seconds, then ran away from her six rivals in the stretch to win the $150,000 Distaff by 7 3/4 lengths at Aqueduct.

Pacific Gale, a 26-1 longshot, finished second by 6 1/4 lengths over Dawn the Destroyer. Yorkiepoo Princess finished fourth, followed by Holiday Disguise, Kathryn the Wise, the 8-5 favorite, and Rosyjersey. Split Time and Startwithsilver were scratched.

Over a track that was playing slowly on a raw, showery day, Come Dancing ran seven furlongs in a fast 1:22.31. She returned $10.60 as the 4-1 fourth wagering choice.

“She was sensational, I thought,” said Martin, who trains Come Dancing for the Blue Devil Racing Stable of Marc Holliday and James O’Reilly. “I thought she was ready to run a good race, but she was better than I expected. I hate to sound sarcastic, but it seemed like a workout. He never got her out of second gear.”

Come Dancing may have been aided by a slow start for the expected speed horse Kathryn the Wise, who had her head turned when the gates opened and got off poorly. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. had to fight with Kathryn the Wise early as she was behind horses.

“She’s too fast; she doesn’t want to be back there,” Ortiz said. “She broke so bad, and after that, I can’t do nothing.”

Franco, for his part, said it might not have mattered how well Kathryn the Wise broke. He didn’t think she could have run with Come Dancing on Friday.

:: Shop for PPs, picks, DRF+ and more in our store!

“Even if she broke good, I don’t know if she’s going to get the jump on me because my filly broke so sharp out of there,” said Franco, the winter meet’s leading rider who won three races on Friday’s opening-day card of the spring session. “When she made the lead, she put her ears up, and I know I had a lot of horse under me.”

For Come Dancing, the victory was her fifth in her nine career starts and her first graded win. A 5-year-old daughter of Tiznow, Come Dancing has had several stops and starts in her career, including a 13-month layoff after her debut victory in November 2016 owing to a pastern injury.

Martin said Come Dancing could stretch out to a mile in a race like the Grade 2, $250,000 Ruffian at Belmont on May 5.

• Martin came back to win the nightcap with Anne’s Song ($17.60), capping a pick-six sequence of 4-6-2-1-5-9 that returned $291,437 to one winning ticket.