Deceptive Vision misses Dance Smartly start

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Deceptive Vision was on track to start in last Sunday’s Grade 2 Dance Smartly Stakes but was not entered due to ankle swelling, trainer Malcolm Pierce said. Deceptive Vision had been training up to the Dance Smartly off a runner-up effort to Sky Treasure in the Grade 2 Nassau Stakes here May 23 after winning the Grade 3 Doubledogdare Stakes on dirt at Keeneland in April.

Pierce wasn’t sure how the injury came about but took a cautious approach with the multiple graded stakes winner.

“She had a little swelling in a hind ankle, and that could have been from kicking a wall or a little wrench of something,” he said. “She wasn’t 100 percent come entry day, so we had to leave her in the barn just to be safe. She’s too valuable to lead over there when she’s not 100 percent.”

Pierce said he expected Deceptive Vision to return to training in the next week or two.