Dancing Buck has no problem with outside draw in Belmont Turf Sprint
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Dancing Buck’s outside draw in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint prompted trainer Michelle Nevin to instruct jockey Manny Franco to get Dancing Buck out of the gate sharp to attain a forward position.
Franco took Nevin’s instructions to heart, putting Dancing Buck on the lead and never looking back en route to a five-length victory in the Belmont Turf Sprint which, due to construction at Belmont this fall, was run at Aqueduct.
The victory was the sixth from 14 starts and first in a stakes for Dancing Buck, a New York-bred 4-year-old gelding by War Dancer. It was his third from four starts at Aqueduct, where he previously showed the ability to win over less-than-firm ground. Approximately three-quarters of an inch of rain fell at Aqueduct Saturday, creating a yielding turf course. Only the Belmont Turf Sprint and Grade 2 Miss Grillo were run on turf. Two overnight races scheduled for the turf were transferred to dirt.
Franco got Dancing Buck away for the gate in good order and he quickly opened up a one-length lead over Chewing Gum. Dancing Buck opened his lead to three lengths after running a half-mile in 46.25 seconds and he was never truly challenged.
Dancing Buck covered the six furlongs in 1:09.60 over yielding ground and returned $10.60 as the 4-1 second choice in a field of nine. Twelve were originally entered, but there were three scratches. Dancing Buck received a 103 Beyer Speed Figure.
Still, breaking from post 7, Nevin said, “I didn’t want to get parked out too far wide. Manny did a hell of a job getting hm out and getting the lead like that.”
Franco said he took advantage of Dancing Buck’s sharp break.
“I just went on with him and he did the rest,” Franco said. “He was nice and comfortable and he got it done.”
Voodoo Zip, seventh early under Joel Rosario, rallied to get second by a neck over Yes and Yes, who stumbled at the break. Arzak, the 2-1 favorite, was fourth and was followed by Thin White Duke, Chewing Gum, Scuttlebuzz, Seven Scents and Value Proposition.
Fauci, Noble Emotion, Nothing Better and Greeley and Ben, a main-track-only entrant, were scratched.
Nevin said she would like to point Dancing Buck to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 5. However, Dancing Buck is not Breeders’ Cup nominated and it would cost his connections - co-owners J and N Stables and Diamond M Stable - a $100,000 supplemental fee to run in the $1 million race.
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