Voodoo Dancer best in Beaugay

JAMAICA, N.Y. - Grade 1 winner Voodoo Dancer, the even-money favorite, was an easy winner of Sunday's $113,200 Beaugay Handicap at Aqueduct on closing day.

With Jerry Bailey in the saddle, Voodoo Dancer, who was making her first start of 2002, was a 2 3/4-length winner over Golden Corona. It was a nose back to Babae, the second choice, who finished third in the 10-horse field of fillies and mares.

Voodoo Dancer ($4.30) covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.10 over the turf course, which was labeled good. Voodoo Dancer was the 119-pound highweight of the Grade 3 Beaugay.

Bailey now has won five runnings of the Beaugay, including the last three. Voodoo's trainer, Christophe Clement, completed a sweep of the weekend stakes after winning Saturday's Withers with Fast Decision.

Down the backstretch, Voodoo Dancer was about six lengths off the pace, which was set by Cozzy Corner. Early in the stretch, Bailey split horses with Voodoo Dancer and surged to a clear advantage with a sixteenth remaining.

Voodoo Dancer, a 4-year-old daughter of Kingmambo, is owned by Green Hills Farm.