Snow Dance scores at 27-1

On one of the hottest days of the summer, it snowed at Belmont Park. Snow Dance, enjoying the sweltering heat and firm turf that were absent when she ran here five weeks ago, scored a 27-1 surprise in the Grade 2, $250,000 .

Snow Dance ($56) tracked pacesetting Trekking for the first mile of the 1 1/4-mile turf race, took over with authority at the top of the stretch, and held off Pertuisane for a one-length victory in 1:59.63. Riskaverse was third, another three-quarters of a length back.

Snow Dance had lost her eight prior starts, but her form was deceiving. She could not handle the soggy going in the Sheepshead Bay Handicap here on May 31, and she was a close third despite a wide trip in her previous start in the Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland.

The public made a three-pronged, Bobby Frankel-trained entry of Lilac Queen, Pertuisane, and Trekking the 3-5 favorite. Snow Queen fell through the cracks.

That suited jockey Richard Migliore and trainer John Ward Jr. just fine. They had confidence Snow Dance was ready for a top effort, and mapped out a strategy reflecting that outlook.

"She has a long, steady run," Migliore said. "She doesn't have a huge turn of foot. We thought if we could back off the slow fractions of Trekking, that might take the other six horses out of the race, and Trekking would have to be awfully good not to crack. We reduced an eight-horse field to a two-horse field."

Ward said Snow Dance will make her next start in Saratoga's Grade 1 Diana Handicap on July 26.