Santa Anita: Dance With Fate tests turf as prep for El Camino Real Derby

ARCADIA, Calif. – Dance With Fate, eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November, will race on turf for the first time Friday in a first-level optional $80,000 claimer at Santa Anita. The race will provide clues as to whether Dance With Fate can handle turf and how far he has progressed since a troubled trip behind New Year’s Day in the BC Juvenile.

Trainer Peter Eurton considers Friday’s race as a prep for the $200,000 El Camino Real Derby over 1 1/8 miles on the Tapeta synthetic track at Golden Gate Fields on Feb. 15.

“It gives us a race before San Francisco, and I don’t have to work him up to it,” Eurton said. “This gives us options. He may like the turf. I don’t know if he’s as good on the dirt.”

Dance With Fate ran in three consecutive Grade 1 races at the end of 2013. He was second by a half-length to Tamarando in the Del Mar Futurity over seven furlongs on Polytrack on Sept. 4. Dance With Fate closed from 10th in a field of 11 after racing in traffic on the turn.

“I thought he should have won that,” Eurton said.

In the FrontRunner Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on dirt here Sept. 28, Dance With Fate was the 2-1 favorite. He led by a half-length in the stretch, but could not keep the advantage, losing by 2 1/4 lengths to Bold Holder.

In the BC Juvenile over 1 1/16 miles, Dance With Fate had trouble at the start and raced wide before finishing 9 1/4 lengths behind New Year’s Day.

“We thought he had a good shot,” Eurton said. “He got wiped out leaving there.”

Eurton said Dance With Fate needs to prove that he can win around two turns. There are recent signs of progress, he insists.

“I have a concern of whether he can go a mile or a mile and an eighth,” Eurton said. “He is getting bigger and stronger.”

Friday’s race drew a field of seven. Baranof and Flagman won maiden races on turf. Flagman was fourth in the Eddie Logan Stakes over a mile on turf Dec. 28 after setting the pace. I’ll Wrap It Up was second in a maiden race on turf at Hollywood Park in November and last of four behind Midnight Hawk in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on dirt here Jan. 11.

Brother Soldier starts after losses in three stakes in the autumn, including a sixth in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park on Dec. 14. Trained by Craig Dollase, Brother Soldier is expected to set the pace.