Gaslight Dancer storms away with Palisades Stakes
?q=100)
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Gaslight Dancer, in his first start since the Breeders' Cup, shortened up and stormed home to upset the $250,000 Palisades Stakes for 3-year-olds sprinting on the Keeneland turf Sunday afternoon.
After a dirt debut, Gaslight Dancer ($15.34) moved to turf for trainer Mike Maker and stretched out from six furlongs to seven for his second start - a distance that often plays longer at Kentucky Downs due to its undulating turf course. The result was a front-running five-length maiden score.
In his stakes debut, Gaslight Dancer pressed the pace throughout and was second by a neck to Nagirroc in the Grade 3 Futurity last October in New York. He was sixth, beaten less than four lengths total, in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at a mile Nov. 4 at Keeneland.
"We gave him some time off, and then we had some delays in Florida because of the [weather] and so forth," Maker said. "I figured if 5 1/2 was too short, at least we'd get a race under his belt to stretch him out, but after that impressive run, we may have to rethink that."
Bushido, who won both his starts as a juvenile at Woodbine, was away from the gate like a rocket and swiftly established a clear lead through opening fractions of 21.12 seconds for a quarter and 44.43 for a half. Gaslight Dancer was fourth under Tyler Gaffalione as the field passed the five-sixteenths pole, and Maker was happy to see him settle.
"I know last year he was pretty headstrong," Maker said. "He looked like he settled nice, saved ground, and kicked home. Last year, he was all-out wanting to go for the lead."
Gaffalione put his colt in the clear in the five path in upper stretch, and Gaslight Dancer joined a scramble of horses setting upon the fading pacesetter, forging his way to the lead in midstretch. He surged clear in the final stages for a 1 1/2-length win.
The final time for 5 1/2 furlongs was 1:02.71 on a course officially rated good after overnight rain.
Maker said that Gaslight Dancer has "all kinds of options" for his next start after showing his distance versatility, mentioning the Grade 2, $500,000 American Turf at 1 1/16 miles on May 6, or the $225,000 William Walker Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on May 13, both for 3-year-olds on the Churchill Downs turf, as possibilities.
Two of a Kind, a Grade 3-placed stakes winner on dirt, also gave himself options with a fine run in his turf debut for Brian Lynch. The colt rallied from seventh on the turn to be second.
“Just second-best today, but he ran a great race for his first time on the grass," jockey Julien Leparoux said. "He’s got some talent."
After Two of a Kind, it was 2 1/4 lengths to the pack of Chiringo, Crispy Cat, favored Private Creed, and No Nay Hudson, who were separated by less than a half-length as they finished in that order. Fadethenoise, the fading Bushido, Golden Nugget, Storm Daddy, Damon's Mound, and Olazabal completed the order of finish. Damon's Mound, a Grade 2-winning juvenile, was trying turf in his first start since September.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.