Voodoo Dancer wins Garden City Breeders' Cup Handicap

ELMONT, N.Y. - Voodoo Dancer bounced back from the worst turf race of her career with one of her best efforts Sunday, rallying from mid-pack to take the Grade 1, $250,000 Garden City Breeders' Cup Handicap by 4 3/4 lengths before 8,465 at Belmont Park.

Shooting Party, making her turf debut, held second in her turf debut by three-quarters of a length over Wander Mom.

It was the fourth stakes win of the year for Voodoo Dancer, a 3-year-old daughter of Kingmambo, owned by Green Hills Farm and trained by Christophe Clement.

Voodoo Dancer was running back just three weeks after she finished fourth in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in California. But, under a patient Corey Nakatani, Voodoo Dancer toyed with her nine rivals Sunday.

Nakatani kept Voodoo Dancer along the inside in mid-pack while Shooting Party cut out fractions of 23.14 seconds, 48.51 and 1:12.13. Turning for home, Nakatani guided Voodoo Dancer off the hedge and she blew past Shooting Party in midstretch.

Voodoo Dancer covered the 1 1/8-miles in 1:47.69 over a firm turf course and returned $4.10 to win as the even-money favorite.

"The time I rode her when I just settled her, kept her nice and calm and was very confident on her she ran a big race," said Nakatani, who rode Voodoo Dancer to victory in the Flawlessly Stakes at Hollywood Park in May. "That's what I did this afternoon."

Clement said Voodoo Dancer was a bit rank and bled in the Del Mar Oaks. She raced on Lasix for the first time in the Garden City.

"If you wait on her, she really explodes which she did today," Clement said. "She's got a great turn of foot as long as you can wait a little bit."

Clement said he would most likely point Voodoo Dancer to the Grade1 Queen Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Keeneland on Oct. 13.

Gold Mover upsets Floral Park

Reverting back to her early career form, Gold Mover broke a four-race losing streak Sunday by upsetting her elders in the $108,400 Floral Park Handicap.

Making her second start off a layoff, Gold Mover rallied up the fence and ran by 4-5 favorite Dat You Miz Blue inside the sixteenth pole to win the Floral Park by 2 1/2 lengths. After breaking through the gate prior to the start and dueling with Miss Seffens through hot fractions, Dat You Miz Blue held second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Finder's Fee.

It was the seventh win and sixth stakes score for Gold Mover, owned and bred by Edward Evans and trained by Mark Hennig. Never sent off at odds higher than 5-1 in her previous 12 races, Gold Mover returned $27.80 to win. She covered six furlongs in 1:10.03.

"This was one of the best races of her life even though she's won a few stakes," assistant trainer Rob Rader said. "She beat the older horses which gives you a lot to look forward to for next year."