Santa Anita: Purim's Dancer faces new challenger Birdlover in Wishing Well

ARCADIA, Calif. – Good thing for Purim’s Dancer that her more accomplished stablemate Pontchatrain is not eligible to the Wishing Well Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita.

Bad news for Purim’s Dancer is the field does include a promising upstart. And the only way Purim’s Dancer can win the Wishing Well for a second year is by turning back the improved filly Birdlover.

Purim’s Dancer and Birdlover are key players in the $75,000 Wishing Well, a 6 1/2-furlong turf race for fillies and mares that have not won a graded stakes since July 1. Eight were entered, including stakes-class Sky High Gal and Fanticola.

Based on her third-place finish last out in the Grade 2 Monrovia and 4-for-7 record on the Santa Anita hillside course, Purim’s Dancer is expected to start favored Sunday. After chasing Pontchatrain in consecutive graded stakes, the Wishing Well is a significant class drop.

“Since we gave her a break [last summer], she is really doing good,” trainer Tom Proctor said.

Purim’s Dancer ran once a month from fall 2012 through spring 2013. She needed a break.

“Horses run out of gas, especially horses that sprint,” Proctor said.”We let her fill her gas tank back up.”

Purim’s Dancer returned in an autumn allowance and scored her fourth win on the Santa Anita hill, then was outclassed finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Sen. Ken Maddy and third in the Grade 2 Monrovia. Both turf sprints were won by Proctor-trained Pontchatrain.

The competition Sunday for Purim’s Dancer is softer, and her post is better. “She actually got hurt by post her last couple races here,” Proctor said. “The inside, that’s not an advantage coming down the hill.”

In fact, the inside is a disadvantage. Last out, Purim’s Dancer broke from post 2 and lost by two lengths. Sunday, she breaks from post 6 and is reunited with Gary Stevens, regular rider for Pontchatrain. Stevens and Pontchatrain will team Feb. 17 in the Grade 2 Buena Vista at a mile.

The Buena Vista was considered for Birdlover following her sharp allowance comeback under her new rider, Mike Smith. But when trainer Doug O’Neill learned Smith already was committed to Customer Base for the Buena Vista, he targeted the Wishing Well.

“The fact we couldn’t get Mike Smith, and the [Buena Vista] is coming up like a Grade 1,” O’Neill said. “We’ll try them down the road.”

After a break from spring to fall, Birdlover is a better filly this year.

“The freshening did her a world of good,” O’Neill said. “She came back bigger and stronger, just a happier horse.”

She also likes the hill, and if Smith can somehow orchestrate a trip after breaking from the inside post, she could upset Purim’s Dancer. Birdlover has won 3 of 12, and will stretch out to two turns later this year.