Dance to the Music gets another chance in Rancho Bernardo
There were more than 21 lengths between Slammed and Dance to the Music when they finished first and fifth in an allowance race for fillies and mares at six furlongs at Del Mar on July 28.
Slammed led throughout to win by 5 1/4 lengths. Dance to the Music was never a factor after a poor start.
Despite the comprehensive loss, Dance to the Music will face Slammed and an expected group of four other fillies and mares in Sunday’s Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar.
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Dance to the Music needs a better start than she had on July 28 to have any chance in the leading annual race of the year for female sprinters at Del Mar.
“She didn’t get out of the gate that day and got dirt in her face,” trainer Mark Glatt said. “She’s not going to run under those circumstances. Hopefully, it was just that and she’ll bounce back on Sunday.
“She’s training really well. She’s been real solid since the race. She was solid going into the race. I think she likes the track a little firmer down here. I think she likes this racetrack, maybe more so than Santa Anita.”
The prospective Rancho Bernardo field is led by Slammed, a five-time stakes winner against New Mexico-breds, and Edgeway, who won the 2021 Rancho Bernardo and was later second in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar last November. Edgeway was sixth of seven in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff at seven furlongs at Churchill Downs on May 7.
Dance to the Music, a 3-year-old owned by Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal, has won 2 of 6 starts and $165,580. Dance to the Music was second to Becca Taylor in the Grade 3 Desert Stormer Stakes at six furlongs at Santa Anita in June.
Becca Taylor, a winner of 9 of 10 starts, recently underwent surgery to have a bone chip removed from an ankle, owner and breeder Nick Alexander said on Thursday.
“She should be ready for the beginning of the year,” he said.
Trained by Steve Miyadi, Becca Taylor won the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos last month and was in training at Del Mar when the injury was detected.