Dancing House looks ready for return from long layoff
ELMONT, N.Y. – Dancing House, a multiple graded stakes-placed 2-year-old filly of 2013, makes her belated 3-year-old debut Friday in a salty $77,000 first-level allowance that serves as the feature on Belmont Park’s nine-race card.
The race, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the Widener turf course, drew a full field of 12 3-year-old fillies plus one entered for the main track only.
Dancing House has not started since finishing fifth in last November’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita. In training subsequent to that race, Dancing House was found to have a chip in her knee that required surgery.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1A Dancing House. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is 4 for 15 with a $2.95 ROI over the past five years with horses returning from a layoff of at least 180 days on turf and receiving Lasix for the first time. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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She returned to the work tab in June and has breezed nine times in preparation for her return.
“She trains pretty aggressively,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “She doesn’t have any extra weight on her. She’s ready to go.”
McLaughlin has shown the ability to bring horses back off lengthy layoffs, winning a stakes at Belmont with Sayaad off a 263-day layoff and an allowance at Saratoga with Divided Attention off a 293-day layoff.
Dancing House, coupled with Ballylee, trained by Tom Albertrani, breaks from post 9, under Irad Ortiz Jr.
Race 8
KEY CONTENDERS
Dancing House (Last 3 Beyers: 78-79-75)
◗ Though her lone win from four starts came on dirt, her breeding suggests she should relish turf, being out of the Grade 1-winning turf mare Tout Charmant. Dancing House ran third in the Grade 3 Miss Grillo in first start over this course last year.
◗She makes her first start in 315 days, after having a chip removed from her knee during the winter and gets Lasix for the first time.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: In last three years, McLaughlin is 4 for 10 with a $4.43 return on investment with horses running beyond a mile on turf off a layoff of at least 180 days and getting Lasix for the first time.
Striking Style (Last 3 Beyers: 81-70-64)
◗Owns highest last-out Beyer among those entered, accomplished in a race where she finished second despite having a wide trip and being late to change to proper lead after striking the front in midstretch.
“She did have a wide trip and when she did get to the lead, she didn’t know what to do,” said trainer Michael Matz. “I thought she ran a nice race.”
◗She won a maiden race over this course and at this distance in July. She moves from post 10 to the rail and gets rider switch to Javier Castellano from Luis Saez.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Striking Style. Trainer Michael Matz is 2 for 36 with a $0.77 ROI over the past two years in turf routes at Belmont. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Hobe Wins (Last 3 Beyers: 75-67-72)
◗Ran fifth, beaten three lengths in turf debut at Saratoga on Aug. 20 when reluctant to go through narrow opening along the rail. Trainer Graham Motion equips her with blinkers for first time on Friday.
“She acts like she really needed them last time,” Motion said. “She was really hesitant. She galloped out super strong once she got through.”
◗Motion is concerned about Hobe Wins having post 11 and will wait until Friday to decide whether or not to run her.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Sister in Arms. Trainer Christophe Clement is 6 for 12 with a $3.58 ROI over the past five years in routes with horses coming off a maiden victory and a layoff of at least 180 days.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan