Magic Dancer drops into allowance

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Magic Dancer, dropping out of stakes company, and Wanna Begone, who has won her last three starts, all for a tag, look like the ones to beat in an allowance race for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles at Hastings Park this Sunday afternoon.

Magic Dancer started off the year running for a price and won her maiden for $25,000 right out of the box. She followed that up with a close second for $35,000 and after a good effort behind Inish Glora going 1 1/16 miles in a $50,000 optional race July 4, it's been all stakes races for the homebred filly. "She should have earned a lot more money by now," said trainer Barbara Heads. "She's a cut below the stakes horses but the conditional allowance races haven't been filling and we really haven't had any other options." Magic Dancer's best finish in stakes company was a third in the B.C. Cup Stallion Stakes Aug. 5. In her most recent start she finished seventh in the Grade 3 Breeders' Cup B.C. Oaks but had an excuse because she broke poorly.

"She came out of the Oaks fine. And she worked a good half-mile the other day," Heads said of a 47-second work on Oct. 3.

Wanna Begone showed some potential when she finished second to Cataloua Rose in an allowance race June 3. But after she was eased in the $50,000 optional race won by Inish Glora July 4, she was dropped in for $11,000 July 22 and started a three- race win streak that culminated with a 2 1/4-length victory over $25,000 claimers going 1 1/16 miles Sept. 12.