Love That Dance takes command, wins Sweet and Sassy

Love That Dance got back to the business of winning Saturday at Delaware Park, pulling off in midstretch to take the $125,350 Sweet and Sassy Stakes.

After a pair of stakes victories at six furlongs over the summer at Monmouth Park, Love That Dance was narrowly beaten in the seven-furlong Maryland Million Distaff Handicap in her last race on Oct. 2. Back at six furlongs in the Sweet and Sassy, Love That Dance broke on top but, under Elvis Trujillo, settled back into third as Veuve led the field through a quarter-mile in 22.14 seconds and a half-mile in 45.15 before yielding the lead to Jehan at the top of the stretch.

Love That Dance raced between those two before asserting herself and going on to win by 2 1/4 lengths. Jehan held second by a nose over third-place Veuve. Love That Dance paid $3 as the favorite, covering the six furlongs on a fast track in 1:10.30.

A 4-year-old New Jersey-bred daughter of Not For Love, Love That Dance is trained by Ben Perkins Jr. for owner/breeder John Petrini. Her first-place prize of $75,000 pushed her earnings past the half-million dollar mark.