Gold Rush Dancer set for E.B. Johnston start

Gold Rush Dancer, the winner of the Grade 3 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs in Washington on Aug. 13, may be favored in Saturday’s $75,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes for California-breds at a mile at Los Alamitos.

Sunday at Del Mar, Gold Rush Dancer had his final workout, going a half-mile in 46.80 seconds, the fastest of 62 works at the distance.

“That was a damn fine work,” trainer Vann Belvoir said as Gold Rush Dancer galloped out.

Owned by John Parker, Gold Rush Dancer has won five stakes in his 18-race career and earned $510,613. The Longacres Mile was Gold Rush Dancer’s first graded stakes win. Gold Rush Dancer will have his debut at Los Alamitos in the Johnston.

The Johnston field is expected to include Soi Phet, the 9-year-old gelding who was third in the California Dreamin Stakes on turf and the Harry Brubaker Stakes on dirt at Del Mar.