Dance Code stands up to pressure to win Parx Juvenile
Dance Code ran hard every step of the way when capturing Wednesday's $100,000 Parx Juvenile. The Juvenile was one of two $100,000 stakes for 2-year-olds at seven furlongs on the card along with the $100,000 Parx Futurity for juvenile fillies, won by Stand Up Comic.
Ridden by Nik Juarez, Dance Code blasted out to the lead and the inside but was immediately under siege from both favored Speaking and Practical Coach. Those three scooted through an opening quarter of 22.77 seconds.
Practical Coach came off the bit on the turn leaving Speaking as Dance Code’s primary challenger. They continued their pitched battle after a half-mile in 45.53.
Speaking, the winner of the Smoke Glacken Stakes at Monmouth on Sept. 26 before finishing last of six in the Grade 3 Nashua on Nov. 7, drew alongside Dance Code, but hung on his left lead all the way to the wire.
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Dance Code drifted out slightly nearing the wire but finished 1 1/2 lengths clear of Speaking. It was 2 1/4 lengths back to ground-saving Script in third. Southern Runner, Vine Jet, Practical Coach, slow-starting Egot a Poker Face, and Raging Tempest completed the order of finish.
Last Romance, Mr. Mox, Smarten Up, Uncle Buddy, and Witty scratched.
Dance Code raced seven furlongs over the fast track in 1:26.32 and paid $8.20 as the public’s fourth betting choice. He survived a jockey’s objection from Speaking’s rider, Gerardo Corrales, alleging interference in the stretch.
Reached by phone after the race, trainer Juan Vazquez mentioned he was torn about whether to run Dance Code here or in the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct on New Year’s Day. “I really wanted to run in the Jerome at a mile, but there were some scratches here and I made a last-minute decision.”
A debut winner at Parx on June 28, Dance Code finished a well-beaten third in the Grade 3 Sanford at Saratoga on July 17 after stumbling badly at the start. He was given three months off after finishing ninth in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special on Aug. 14.
Dance Code won his comeback race, a non-winners of two lifetime allowance at Parx on Nov. 10 before finishing fourth in the restricted Pennsylvania Nursery earlier this month.
A son of Honor Code out of the winning Street Boss mare Dancinginthestreet, Dance Code was bred in Pennsylvania by Blackstone Farm. Purchased for $13,000 as a yearling, he was pinhooked this winter and sold to Richie’s World Stable for $50,000 at the OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training.
Vazquez said that he is looking forward to stretching Dance Code out in distance for his next start.
Parx Futurity
A return to dirt led to a return to the winner's circle for Stand Up Comic, who tracked and pounced her way to a four-length victory over late-running Captainsdaughter in the Parx Futurity.
Trained by Butch Reid for Cash Is King and LC Racing, Stand Up Comic tracked the pace along the inside as Collin's Grey Lady set uncontested fractions of 23.02 and 46.54 seconds while racing well off the rail.
Jockey Frankie Pennington eased Stand Up Comic outside the leader on the turn and they assumed command turning into the stretch.
Captainsdaughter, a runner-up in her last two starts, both New York-bred stakes, kicked hard but had to settle for second once again. She finished 2 1/2 lengths ahead of favored Miss Interpret, a non-threatening third dropping out of two graded stakes for trainer Todd Pletcher.
Then came Collin's Grey Lady, Eighty Eight Keys, Twodogsfourcats, Lady Bernadette, Smarty Pants Sandy, and Decisive Cause.
Alice Harper and Bienvenue scratched. Buy the Best, the morning-line favorite, was withdrawn on Sunday after winning the Gin Talking Stakes at Laurel.
Stand Up Comic completed the seven furlongs in 1:26.29 and paid $7 as the second choice in the wagering.
The winner showed a new dimension in the Parx Futurity. A gate-to-wire winner of her first two starts at Delaware Park before two unsuccessful sprint races on turf in New York, Stand Up Comic showed the ability to relax and finish.
Reid mentioned earlier this week that Stand Up Comic "was a little confused" after the two turf tries. "We threw a couple of things at her, and her head was a little scrambled. We got a couple of nice breezes in company in her and took a shot in this race."
Bred in Kentucky by Elco Ventures, Stand Up Comic is a daughter of Practical Joke and a half-sister to stakes-placed sprinter Dr B and stakes-winning sprinter Hi Holiday. Their dam, the Proud Citizen mare Boleyn, was Grade 2-placed as a 2-year-old.