Cal-bred News

Valentine Dancer leads Cal-bred Sweep

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 24, 2004) -- Valentine Dancer led a California-bred sweep of the Sunshine Millions $500,000 John Deere Filly & Mare Turf Saturday at Santa Anita, with Moscow Burning finishing second and Bartok's Blithe third at 61-1.

It was the first sweep of a Sunshine Millions race for Cal-breds and the second win of the day for California, which was represented by only one winner in last year's inaugural running. Silent Sighs earlier Saturday won the $250,000 Ocala Stud Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at Gulfstream Park.

Valentine Dancer was 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 now has six wins in 16 starts and the $275,000 first-place check nearly doubled her career earnings total to $593,006.

"She's a good filly," said trainer Craig Lewis. "It was a beautiful trip. Jon Court rode her as good as a horse could be ridden, a fabulous ride. It all worked out for us. We got the trip we anticipated, it went our way and it's in the history books.

Court picked up the mount earlier in the day because of the suspension of named jockey Patrick Valenzuela. Valentine Dancer edged out of a crowded pack at the eighth pole and won by three-quarters of a length, running the 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:46.31. A year earlier, Valentine Dancer finished sixth in the Sunshine Million Oaks.

"The owner and trainer gave me explicit and credible instructions of not only how to ride the race, but how the horse likes to run," said Court. "I just followed the directions to a 'T.' she is pretty much a push-button ride. There were no problems, no concerns, except that the pace was pretty leisurely and I thought everyone else would have a good punch on the end. I was just hoping I would be right there with them, the strongest at the end."

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. The $100,000 runner-up check raised her career earnings to $279,565.

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. She picked up $60,000 for the show.