Dancingtothestars wins her second stakes of the year

ARCADIA, Calif. – Dancingtothestars ended a two-race losing streak and won her second stakes of the year in Saturday’s $98,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at Santa Anita.

To keep the win, Dancingtothestars had to survive a five-minute review from the stewards after jockey Tyler Baze, who rode runner-up Unusual Hottie, lodged an objection against winning rider Mario Gutierrez’s ride.

Baze alleged that Dancingtothestars bumped Unusual Hottie at end of the backstretch of the one-mile turf race. At the time, Dancingtothestars and Unusual Hottie were third and fourth in a field of four.

“He knocked my horse’s [tail] end out from under her,” Baze said. “There are only four horses in the race. There is plenty of room for all of us.”
The stewards did not change the order of finish.

Dancingtothestars ($13.80) ran a mile on turf in 1:35.09, finishing 3 1/2 lengths in front of Unusual Hottie. Halo Dolly was third, a half-length behind Unusual Hottie. Unusual Way, the 3-2 favorite, finished last of four after setting an early pace of 22.94 seconds and 46.24.

Gutierrez, best known for winning the 2012 Kentucky Derby on I’ll Have Another, had Dancingtothestars in fourth for the first half-mile, with Unusual Hottie racing to her inside. Dancingtothestars took the lead before the eighth pole and pulled away late.

Earlier this year, Dancingtothestars won the minor Megahertz Stakes over a mile on turf in January but was seventh in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes over a mile on turf Feb. 17. She rebounded to finish third in the Irish O’Brien Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares on the hillside turf course March 15.

“She’s so honest,” said winning trainer Doug O’Neill.

Owned by Ren-Mar Thoroughbreds, Dancingtothestars has won 7 of 23 starts and earned $473,122. The Megahertz and Fran’s Valentine are the only stakes wins of her career.

Dancingtothestars, a 6-year-old mare by Good Journey, was fourth in the 2013 Fran’s Valentine when the race was run at Hollywood Park.