Come Dancing sent to Oaklawn for first start of the year; Lukas will train

Come Dancing, the Grade 1 Ballerina winner, arrived at Oaklawn Park last Thursday and is being pointed to one of two spots for her seasonal debut, trainer Carlos Martin said Monday.

While the Grade 1, $600,000 Apple Blossom Handicap at 1 1/16 miles is the main target, Martin said Come Dancing also will be nominated to the Grade 3, $350,000 Count Fleet Handicap at six furlongs. Both races are scheduled for April 18. The Count Fleet would mean taking on males, something Come Dancing has not yet done.

“She’s brilliant sprinting, six, seven furlongs,” Martin said. “The [Count Fleet] is an option even though it’s against boys. Other than Whitmore, and I know he’s a great horse, if Come Dancing is ready to run her race it wouldn’t scare me to run.”

Come Dancing, who is 8 for 14 lifetime, has won races from six furlongs to 1 1/16 miles, though she has never raced around two turns, the configuration of the Apple Blossom. Come Dancing’s victory in the Ballerina came at seven furlongs. Prior to that, Come Dancing finished second to Midnight Bisou in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps, a one-turn, 1 1/16-mile race last June at Belmont Park.

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Come Dancing has not run since she finished sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint last November at Santa Anita. Initially slated to be sold a few days later, Marc Holliday of Blue Devil Racing, which owns the mare, elected to bring Come Dancing back for a 6-year-old campaign.

Come Dancing has been in training at Ocala Stud under the tutelage of David O’Farrell. On March 21, Come Dancing breezed five furlongs in 1:01, which, according to Martin “is unheard of” over that track.

After that work, Holliday and Martin discussed whether to attempt to run at Oaklawn or keep her on the farm until there was some clarity in the New York racing schedule. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the New York Racing Association has canceled racing through at least April 19.

Martin is based in New York and will not be with Come Dancing at Oaklawn. Come Dancing’s training will be overseen by Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, Martin said.

“I was wrestling back and forth with it; to have a spectacular filly like that and not be hands on with her . . .,” Martin said. “But after I spoke to The Coach, my gut said to go for it. Coach is excited to have her.”

Martin said Come Dancing was scheduled to breeze five furlongs on Tuesday at Oaklawn.