Vacation Dance, Les Bon Temps head divisions of $500K stallion stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Vacation Dance will attempt to transfer his turf stakes-winning form to the dirt Saturday when he makes his first start on that surface in the $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Stakes at Aqueduct.

The Great White Way, a one-turn mile restricted to 2-year-olds by New York-based stallions, is the co-feature along with the $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the NYSS for 2-year-old fillies by New York-based stallions. Saturday’s 10-race card, which begins at 11:50 a.m., also includes the $100,000 Alex M. Robb and $100,000 Bay Ridge for New York-bred males and females, respectively.

Trainer John Kimmel wasn’t pleased with the deep main track at Saratoga during the summer, so he breezed Vacation Dance a few times on turf, liked what he saw, and started him on that surface. Vacation Dance won his debut Sept. 4, then in October finished third, beaten just a head, in the Grade 3 Futurity at Aqueduct. After failing to draw into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, Vacation Dance won the Atlantic Beach on Nov. 5 at Aqueduct.

In his works at Saratoga, Vacation Dance “was not galloping out like I wanted to see him gallop out,” Kimmel said. “Everything else after that was on the grass. He ran well on the grass but after his win in the stakes, I knew this race was coming up. He’s gotten bigger and stronger. He’s not had any issues at all with the dirt breezes. He’s been working really, really well, he’s just matured. Maybe he didn’t like the dirt track at Saratoga.”

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Two of Vacation Dance’s three siblings were winners on dirt.

Vacation Dance breaks from post 11 under Kendrick Carmouche.

Jackson Heights finished eighth in two starts on turf before being switched to dirt. In his second start on that surface, he pulled a 24-1 upset in the Bertram F. Bongard on Sept. 29. He defeated Arctic Arrogance, who came back to beat Jackson Heights in the Sleepy Hollow Stakes and run a strong second in the Grade 2 Remsen.

The Great White Way field has seven maidens, including Lifetime of Chance, a son of The Lieutenant, who has a third and a second in two starts for Linda Rice.

“I was hoping he wouldn’t be a maiden by the time we got to this race, but he’s shown quite a bit of promise and we’ve been pointing to this race the whole time,” Rice said. “He’s got two races, enough experience and fitness to be effective in a race like this.”

Fifth Avenue Stakes

Les Bon Temps, winner of the Maid of the Mist Stakes on Oct. 30, heads a field of 11 juvenile fillies entered in the $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the NYSS at a mile.

Les Bon Temps, a daughter of Laoban, was good enough to finish third to Wonder Wheel in the Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs. Wonder Wheel has since gone on to win a pair of Grade 1 stakes, including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

In two starts for Maker, Les Bon Temps finished third in the Joseph A. Gimma after setting the pace, then rallied from just off the pace to win the Maid of the Mist.

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“Two starts back, that’s where we wanted to be, last time we just let it play out and got lucky,” Maker said.

Jose Lezcano rides Les Bon Temps from the rail.

Forces Sweetheart, a daughter of The Lieutenant, won a maiden $50,000 claimer on Nov. 5 at Gulfstream Park and has been pointed to this race ever since by Saffie Joseph Jr.

“Visually, she won well,” Joseph said. “If she can move forward, she should make herself competitive in that kind of spot.”

Edgard Zayas is up from Florida to keep the mount on Forces Sweetheart.

Midtown Lights and Fema Funds, one-two in a Dec. 3 maiden race are back in this spot. Fema Funds is one of six maidens in this spot.

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