Valentine Dancer Tough in Filly & Mare Turf

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 19, 2004) -- Valentine Dancers leads five California-bred stakes winners among the entries in Saturday's $500,000 John Deere Filly and Mare Turf in Sunshine Millions II at Santa Anita.

Valentine Dancer is coming off a game head win in the Dec. 14 Cat's Cradle. She is by In Excess, out of the Mr. Prospector mare Gilded Dancer, and was bred by owners Al and Sandee Kirkwood. She also won the Herold Ramser Handicap among her five wins with earnings of $318,006.

Bartok's Blithe is by Bartok, out of the Roanoke mare Merry Krisoke, and was bred by Morry Cohen. She won the Melair and Pleasanton Senorita Stakes this year and is coming off a seventh in the Grade I La Brea. She has three wins and $256,116 in earnings.

Tucked Away is by Unusual Heat, out of the Be a Native mare Chemolo, and was bred by Madeline Auerbach. She won three of four races earlier this year, including the Fleet Treat Stakes, and is coming off a fifth in the Jan. 3 Work the Crowd Handicap. She has three wins and $188,542 in earnings.

Summer Wind Dancer is by Siberian Summer, out of the Incinderator mare Native Wind Dancer, and was bred by Richard and Yvette Wira, Linda Vetter and Deborah Penn. She won the Cover Gal and California Cup Juvenile Fillies Stakes in 2002 but was winless in 2003 with three seconds and a fifth most recently in the Cat's Cradle. She has $299,857 in earnings.

Moscow Burning is by Moscow Ballet, out of the Mr. Leader mare Burning Desire, and was bred by Harris Farms and Ken Maddy Trust. Claimed for $25,000 last August, she won the Cal Cup Distance Handicap and most recently was fourth in the Dec. 20 Grade II Dahlia Handicap. She has six wins in nine starts and $179,565 in earnings.

All the Honor comes in the race as the hot Florida-bred with a three-race win streak.

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