Late charge carries Breath Away to victory in Dance Smartly

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Saratoga shipper Breath Away caught the popular local runner Caitlinhergrtness late to take Saturday’s Grade 2 Dance Smartly on the Canadian International undercard at Woodbine.

Breath Away ($14) got a patient ride after breaking from the rail under Sahin Civaci. She saved ground at the rear of the nine-horse field until the stretch of the 1 1/16-mile inner turf route.

Caitlinhergrtness, last year’s King’s Plate winner and Canadian champion 3-year-old filly, made a wide bid to take the lead on the far turn and then opened up a clear advantage in the stretch. Civaci angled Breath Away wide in midstretch and she kicked in strongly through the final furlong to win by a half-length in a time of 1:41.74 over firm ground.

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Breath Away, a Great Britian-bred 5-year-old, earned $120,000 of the $208,900 purse for the partnership of Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Steven Rocco, and Marc Levine.

Winning trainer Miguel Clement’s assistant, Lee Vickers, saddled Breath Away, who was coming off an overdue score in the Aug. 30 Violet Stakes at Monmouth.

“She got a great ride from the one-hole,” Vickers said. “She saved every inch of ground and conserved that energy for that turn of foot late, which was incredible. When she’s right, she’s really, really good. Today, she was right.”

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