'Dancer' needs pace to target

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Roughly halfway through Sunday's $150,000 Sunset Breeders' Cup Handicap, trainer Dan Hendricks will have a good idea of whether Runaway Dancer can win the turf marathon.

A quick pace will help the late kick of Runaway Dancer, who won the 2003 Carleton Burke Handicap and 2005 Jim Murray Handicap at the Sunset distance of 1 1/2 miles on turf. A slow pace Sunday will have Hendricks looking forward to the Del Mar meeting later this summer with the 7-year-old gray gelding.

"He needs speed to help set him up," Hendricks said. "He's a victim of his own style."

Help may arrive in the form of Wild Buddy, a confirmed front-runner. But the field for the Grade 2 Sunset will not be large. Other probable starters are Leprechaun Kid, Molengao, and T.H. Approval.

Leprechaun Kid won the Del Mar Breeders' Cup Handicap last year, while T.H. Approval has won the last two runnings of the San Juan Capistrano Handicap.

The Sunset is the closing-day feature of the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting. Del Mar opens on Wednesday.

Giacomo, Bordonaro work

Giacomo, the 2005 Kentucky Derby winner, and Bordonaro, one of the nation's top sprinters, worked on Thursday, preparing for races at Del Mar.

Giacomo, unraced since finishing fourth in the Santa Anita Handicap on March 4, worked six furlongs at Hollywood Park in 1:13.80, the fifth-fastest of 14 recorded times at the distance.

Trained by John Shirreffs, Giacomo is winless in four starts since the Derby. Shirreffs has not stated when Giacomo will reappear.

Bordonaro blazed six furlongs in 1:10 at Santa Anita, best of 24 recorded works at the distance. He is being pointed for the $300,000 Bing Crosby Handicap at six furlongs on July 30.

Owned by Fred Carrillo and Daniel Cassella, Bordonaro has not started since winning the Count Fleet at Oaklawn Park in April. Spawr said Bordonaro was scheduled to be sent to Del Mar later on Thursday.

* The $65,000 Valkyr Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares did not fill for Saturday. The nine-race program features two allowance races at a mile on turf - a $55,000 race for open company and a $51,000 race for statebreds.