Kept Waiting drops in class to take on statebreds in Dancin Renee

ELMONT, N.Y. – After two attempts in graded stakes, Kept Waiting returns to New York-bred company in a highly competitive renewal of Sunday’s $100,000 Dancin Renee Stakes going six furlongs at Belmont Park.

A three-time winner on turf, Kept Waiting transferred that form to dirt during the winter when she won twice at Aqueduct, including a 5 1/2-length score in the Broadway Stakes for statebreds.

In April, Kept Waiting ran a respectable second behind Glass Ceiling – and well clear of Search Results – in the Grade 3 Distaff at Aqueduct. In her most recent start, Kept Waiting finished fourth, 11 lengths behind Bella Sofia in the Grade 3 Vagrancy on May 14.

“For whatever reason, she misfired that day, she came back fine after that,” trainer Robert Falcone Jr. said. “Haven’t had any issues at all, so I’m just going to toss that one out.”

Kept Waiting had a strong half-mile breeze in 47.40 seconds on June 14 over the Belmont main track. Falcone isn’t thrilled with the mare’s rail draw for the Dancin Renee, but said he’ll leave it up to jockey Kendrick Carmouche to work out the trip from there.

“I’d rather have a target in front of her, but I’ll leave everything from the gate up to Kendrick,” Falcone said. “He knows how to get out of the gate.”

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Bank Sting finished second behind Make Mischief in the Critical Eye Stakes for New York-breds on May 30. Joel Rosario had Bank Sting perhaps too much in reserve that day and she was beaten four lengths while finishing five lengths clear of the field.

“Looking back, it came back a fast race, she ran a really good one,” trainer John Terranova said. “Maybe she could have engaged a little earlier, I don’t know if we would have finished closer to the winner or overtaken her, she got out there, had things her own way.”

Noting the cutback from a mile to six furlongs, Terranova said “they’ll keep it honest up front. She’s fast. If she breaks sharp and is engaged, we’ll be close. We’ll see, these sprints, there’s no taking hold of them.”

This will be Bank Sting’s first race at six furlongs. The four-time stakes winner has won from seven furlongs to 1 1/16 miles.

Time Limit finished second to Kept Waiting in the Broadway and then came back to run third in the Skipat Stakes at Pimlico on Preakness Day. The consistent daughter of Bustin Stones has finished in the top three in 17 of 19 starts.

The Important One returns from a six-month layoff following a well-beaten third behind Bank Sting in the Staten Island division of the New York Stallion Stakes in December. The Important One is 2 for 2 at Belmont, including a 6 1/4-length victory in the Iroquois Stakes here last October.

The 6-year-old mare Miss Jimmy, based at Finger Lakes with Bruce Anderson, has finished first or second in 20 of 24 career starts, including a runner-up finish behind The Important One in the Iroquois. She breaks from the outside post under the meet’s leading rider, Dylan Davis.

Secret Love, Chasing Cara, Queen Arella, Letmetakethiscall, and Snicket complete the field.