Danse Macabre in peak form for Matron Stakes
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Danse Macabre will seek to win her second consecutive stakes when she heads a field of 12 2-year-old fillies entered in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Matron Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on turf at Aqueduct.
Danse Macabre, a daughter of Army Mule trained by Kelsey Danner, will be making her fifth start this year in the Matron, run at six furlongs. She won the Untapable by a nose after running second to Love Reigns in the Bolton Landing on Aug. 21 at Saratoga.
In the Bolton Landing, Danse Macabre “broke a step slow and got crushed on both sides out of the gate,” Danner said. “She got jostled again down the backside and cost her some position. I’m not saying she would have beat Love Reigns – she’s a nice filly. At least it would have been closer.”
Danner said she had targeted the Matron for Danse Macabre after that race, but squeezed in the Untapable because the filly was doing so well.
Danner said she is looking forward to running Danse Macabre, but added: “I hope the grass dries out. My concern is the weather.”
Adam Beschizza is in from Kentucky to ride Danse Macabre from post 2.
Approximately four inches of rain fell in the Queens area from Saturday to Wednesday. Dry conditions were present Thursday and were expected to last throughout the weekend.
Redifined, a debut winner at Belmont in June, finished three-quarters of a length behind Danse Macabre in the Bolton Landing. Trainer Tony Dutrow felt Redifined and jockey John Velazquez had trouble in the race, and that it cost her a chance at winning.
“She did not get away real good, got pinched, didn’t have the best trip in the world,” Dutrow said. “I thought she ran good without things going perfect for her. Johnny came back and said this is a good filly. He said ‘I’m not telling you I was going to win the race, but if things go cleaner for her, the winner would have known we were there.’ ”
Velazquez is at Keeneland on Saturday, so Javier Castellano, aboard for Redifined’s maiden win, is back aboard.
Trainer Christophe Clement was impressed with the debut victory by Dontlookbackatall, who rallied from sixth to win a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race by two lengths at Saratoga.
“I love the filly,” Clement said. “She’s just extremely immature.”
Manny Franco rides from the rail.
Sweet Harmony won her first two starts, including the Colleen Stakes going five furlongs on turf July 24 at Monmouth. She set fast fractions and faded to fifth in the Bolton Landing.
Determined Jester won a stakes at Colonial Downs as a maiden. American Apple won a maiden race Sept. 14 at Kentucky Downs. Atomic Girl and Little Linzee were maiden winners in statebred company at Saratoga.
Completing the field on turf are How Lovely, Fleetfooted, Personal Pursuit, and Sweetlou’sgotaces. Apple Picker was entered to run only on the main track.
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