Kant Hurry Love adds blinkers, takes second consecutive Dancin Renee

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer David Duggan’s decision to put blinkers on Kant Hurry Love for the first time paid big dividends after the New York-bred filly successfully defended her title in Sunday’s $125,000 Dancin Renee Stakes at Aqueduct, registering a gate-to-wire, three-quarter-length decision over Leeloo.

The 1-2 favorite Sterling Silver rallied belatedly to finish third.

Kant Hurry Love had gone five starts without a victory since capturing the 2023 Dancin Renee with a hard-fought nose verdict over the favored Grannys Connection. So Duggan opted to make the equipment change for this year’s edition of the six-furlong dash restricted to New York-bred fillies and mares to help her “step up her game” on Sunday.

With regular rider Trevor McCarthy aboard, Kant Hurry Love broke alertly and was hustled to the lead along the inside while pressed from the outset by Majestic Return. Kant Hurry Love disposed of a challenge from that rival upon settling into the stretch and opened a commanding advantage through the furlong grounds before holding safe Leeloo’s final surge.

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Leeloo, returning locally for the first time since winning an open optional claiming and allowance race here on February 4, raced within easy striking distance in the run down the backstretch, altered course around the tiring Majestic Return through midstretch, finished willingly out near the center of the course but could not catch the winner.

Sterling Silver, third beaten less than a length by Kant Hurry Love in this event at Belmont Park one year ago, raced near the rear of the six-horse lineup during the early going, was still seven lengths behind the leader turning for home, finished best of all along the rail but was not good enough.

Kant Hurry Love, a 5-year-old daughter of Kantharos owned by Ken Wheeler Jr., completed the distance in an adjusted final time of 1:10.11 seconds and returned $11.20.

“We were very nervous about how the blinkers would affect her off a good run and, obviously, at this stage, we don’t have to worry about that,” Duggan said. “The blinkers just gave her a little bit of focus. Sometimes these older fillies just need a little something to change their mind. She got loose on the lead and got very comfortable. It made a big difference.”

Duggan said Kant Hurry Love would make her next start in the $125,000 Union Avenue Handicap, a race in which she finished second last summer, at Saratoga on August 9.

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