Meadowlands: Dancin Lou looks to follow in his sire's hoofprints in Sam McKee

One of the 10 straight victories Sweet Lou had during his tour de force run through the Free-For-All pacing ranks in 2014 came on Hambletonian Day in the United States Pacing Championship. On Saturday, his son Dancin Lou will look to do the same thing as he starts from post two in the $229,660 Sam McKee Memorial.

Even though four of his top five earners are males, as a sire Sweet Lou has been best-known for the brilliant filly Warrawee Ubeaut. Now Dancin Lou has given him a signature colt to add to her, as he's paired his late-season prosperity a year ago that saw him win the Breeders Crown with a strong start to his 4-year-old campaign, highlighted by a 1:47 2/5 career-best mile in his W.R. Haughton Memorial triumph on July 18. Sweet Lou stands at Diamond Creek Farm, and according to owner and general manager Adam Bowden, Dancin Lou's success gives Sweet Lou a real notch on his belt going forward.

"I think for a long time Sweet Lou's flagship horse was Warrawee Ubeaut, which is great. She was a fantastic 2-year-old and 3-year-old, winning both Breeders Crowns, but a colt somehow makes a stallion, like they can hang their hat on that one colt," remarked Bowden. "Captaintreacherous was that for Somebeachsomewhere in the first crop, and to have a horse like Dancin Lou, who won the Breeders Crown at 3 and then came back to be competitive immediately, not only against the 4-year-olds but against the older horses when he won the Haughton, that’s huge.

"Coming into the Sam McKee Memorial, it's feather-in-the-cap type stuff for Sweet Lou, which is great. We were at the Meadowlands this past weekend and watched him tune up for the race, and he looked awfully good doing it."

While Dancin Lou didn't have the same type of precocious, wicked early speed that Sweet Lou did as a 2-year-old, he’s obviously gotten faster as his career has progressed, and he has displayed a great deal of toughness in his races this season, overcoming rough trips to finish third in the Graduate Series final and then to take the Haughton final. Bowden recalled Sweet Lou having that gameness in him as well.

"Sweet Lou was one of those pure speed type horses right from the beginning. It seemed like Dancin Lou took a while to get there, but maybe now he has that ability to make a couple of different moves," Bowden commented. "I think one of the things about Sweet Lou is that he did a lot of that on his own, and if you listen to those old interviews, he didn't really want to be asked. He gave you 100 percent every single time. I'm not sure that this colt is the same way, but he easily could be. He looks like he's definitely got the ability to leave hard, make a couple moves, and he's clearly a tough horse as well, just maybe in a different way."

Dancin Lou is one of five 4-year-olds that will compete in the Sam McKee Memorial, and while racing in the age-restricted Graduate Series has seemed to help those horses make the transition before they tackle their elders, Bowden noted that this group appears to have the same type of talent as the one that included Sweet Lou when he was a 4-year-old.

"I believe a good 4-year-old can compete against the older horses. Not every crop, because I don't think every crop is equal, but the great crops, the horses out of those crops can compete immediately," Bowden said. "Sweet Lou's crop was one of those crops. When they all became 4-year-olds, they dominated, and it looks like this group of 4-year-olds right now is going to be able to compete immediately with the older horses.

"Dancin Lou won the Haughton, Hurrikane Emperor won the Graduate in 47 flat and our other colt Workin Ona Mystery was second that night. Century Farroh was second after making a couple moves to Dancin Lou. It's a hell of a group right now."

While the winner's share of the purse wouldn’t quite get Dancin Lou to the million-dollar plateau in career earnings, he is quickly approaching that mark. When he does get there, Bowden explained that he will likely reach a new level of interest from the breeding side of the industry.

"Money is still important. When we're talking our stallions up to the small breeders, one of the major questions is 'what did he earn on the track?,' and we feel like that million-dollar barrier is this magical number that once they get over a million dollars, and they've won prestigious races, it makes it like, 'okay, this is a horse that I feel comfortable breeding to,'" Bowden stated. "Once he crosses that, then I think you can start thinking he can stand somewhere. Where that is, I can't tell you, but yes, I do believe once they cross that threshold they become a stallion candidate."

While those days likely lie ahead for Dancin Lou, for now, another chance to win a major stakes event is coming up on Saturday afternoon at the Meadowlands. The Sam McKee Memorial is race seven on the jam-packed Hambletonian Day program, and the estimated post time is 2:25 P.M.