Woodbine: Dancing Raven turns it on late to win Ballade

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Dancing Raven rallied strongly under leading rider Luis Contreras to capture the $125,000 Ballade Stakes on Wednesday night at Woodbine.

Dancing Raven trailed the seven-horse field of Ontario-sired females on the backstretch of the six-furlong dash. Tennis Braclet set fractions of 22.47 and 45.22, as favorites Princess Chelsea and Jacally both assumed an outside stalking position. Dancing Raven commenced a five-wide rally at the three-eighths pole. She hit the front with an eighth left, and went on to prevail by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:10.16. Dancing Raven paid $10.60. Articulating finished second and Sans Sousi wound up third after rallying into traffic early in the stretch.

The first and third-place finishers are both trained by Mike Doyle, who said he has many options for the remainder of Dancing Raven’s campaign.

“There will be turf racing and Poly, and she’s also eligible for the yearling sales stakes,” Doyle pointed out.

Dancing Raven earned $75,000 for Windhaven.