Dancing Renee- $100.000 Purse
BEL- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward Foaled in NY
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
June 28, 2015
For just the second time, BEL will be hosting the running of the Dancing Renee, a six furlong event for older female New Yorkers. Last year was the first time it appeared on our schedule, and our defending race winner, Impeccably Dominant seeks to live up to her name again, but it will be a long time before she can Fivepeat. She might be in tough to repeat, but not to worry, we have two others in this field who can provide their trainers exactly what their names say as well in Euneirophrenia and Pure Ecstasy; and not want their hopes of victory to simply be Ephremeral. No Xanadau Magic is necessary to have a great race, but we’ll have it anyway! So sit back, relax, watch out for Blarney Bees and Pink Cougars, and take a look through this eight horse field!
#1- Euneirophrenia (Wolf Ridge Stables, ridden by R Maragh)- One of two in this field sired by Emperor Chris, who is historically known for horses that excel in their careers at older ages. This filly is no exception, and has done well for Wolf Ridge Stables once purchased in the Nynl Stables clearance sale in late August for $30.000. She was one of the most difficult ones for me to sell, because I knew with her bloodline, she had a lot more left in her, and Wolf Ridge Stables has been the beneficiary as she has won three ungraded stakes since that day. It started with the $50.000 Casino Stakes, and most recently she won the $100.000 Primonetta Stakes at PIM, coming in April. Euneirophrenia is at her best in the stretch, and that will mean trouble for the rest of the field if she stays close enough, which she normally does. She needs to be considered one of the favorites.
#2- Blarney Bee (Smokey Stover, ridden by J Velazquez)- After a third place finish in the $200.000 NY-bred Critical Eye, the trainer cuts back on her distance a little bit. In that race, this filly who has been best at seven furlongs, tried to go a mile and while she still did well in that, it is also where in the race that she was beaten. Now, she will go six furlongs, which she has done once in her career, and it ended in victory. When it comes to Blarney Bee, though, my favorite about her is her consistency as she never been outside the top three in any of her career 10 starts (10-4-3-3), and there are no soft spots on her past performances. She has tried the graded circuit, including the G1 La Brea Stakes at SA and G2 Inside Information at GP. This would seem like a great opportunity to get back in the winner’s circle, and I am putting her on top to do that, though this field is very strong.
#3- Impeccably Dominant (Rousee, ridden by J J Castellano)- Last year, this mare by Impeccable had what has been the highlight of her career, in taking the inaugural running of this race. At that time, she was in great form and Hambletonian Stable picked up the win. The positive feelings in that stable began to diminish, and she was put up for a tag in an optional claimer, and picked up by Rousee for $8.000 in her last start. Rousee puts her right back into this race. Judging by her work times, she should still be very bit as competitive, but the on track performances have said otherwise. It would be a nice comeback story if she did pull it off.
#4- Pure Ecstasy (Alegria, ridden by J L Ortiz)- Good to see this trainer back in action after a stable clearance last fall. Alegria will be looking for his first stake win since coming back, and turns to this $23.000 private sales purchase to do so. It will be Pure Ecstasy’s first start in her new silks after running for D J C Racing Stables. With her old trainer, she won just her maiden event in 10 career starts, and failed to hit the board in three graded events, as well as the $250.000 Maid of the Mist for two year olds. While she has worked well, her race times look like they could be better. Perhaps, she just needs a little bit of help. The three year old gets that today with a six to eight pound weight allowance over the rest of the field, and that could be all it takes for her to turn the tables.
#5- Ephemeral (Night Rider Stables, ridden by R J Albarado)- Like Impeccably Dominant, Ephemeral was also in last year’s race, but it was not her best day, placing seventh of seven. That result did not hamper her career, and she would win her next two races following that, which were a pair of optional claimers, including an unrestricted race at SAR. Another NY-bred stake was attempted and should be eighth of eight. Again, following that performance, she won her next start in an optional claimer. Therein lies the trend with her. Will this be the day she finally steps up in a NY-bred stake? She did try a lesser one at FL in her last start, and was third in a race won by Jimmies Fivepeat. It’s time for Ephemeral to step up.
#6- Pink Cougar (Alydar Stables, ridden by K Carmouche)– The five year old mare has won over $660.000 in her career, and is coming off a pair of victories. Amazingly with her record and having run in the 2014 BC, she was completely ignored at the betting window, and went off at 409/1 in an optional claimer at PIM. Where was I that day? Well, after winning that race, she made a couple people happy and hundreds of people pretend they bet on her to look good. She proved this was not a fluke by winning the $50.000 First Lady Handicap at RUI. Now, this Pink Panther mare who has won three Grade 3’s during her career seems resurgent and is poised to put together a strong performance here. Sorry though, you won’t get those PIM odds on her here.
#7- Xanadu Magic Tf (Pristine Stables, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- Now we are here, in post 7, with this Megalomanic filly. This will be the toughest race she has been in, having recently fallen all the way into MNR as late as last year. She’s been purchased and sold by Two Field Stables a couple times, and will be making her fourth start for Pristine Stables, who has a ton of confidence in her. Recently, this sent her to the $35.000 Mesa Handicap, where she was second by a length and put up a 96 SRF. That must be duplicated for her to have a shot in this one.
#8- Jimmies Fivepeat (Triple T Racing, ridden by A Arroyo)- Another in this field that is sired by Emperor Chris, and the six year old is a good example of the longevity of his foals. She is just shy of $1,000.000 in earnings over her career, and any finish in the top three will put her over the top here. The majority of her career saw her run for Wolfs Den, where she won a pair of grade 3’s: the 2013 Noble Damsel Handicap in September of that year, and The Vagrancy Handicap in May 2014, a day in which she saw and beat Pink Cougar. She was claimed for $40.000 in March, and that has paid off for her connections, taking the $50.000 Anthony Stakes last month, a race in which she beat Ephremeal. This mare still has it, and will be a force to reckon with in this race.
Prediction: 2-1-6-8
— NS
Categories: Ungraded
