Sunday April 24, 2005

$150,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes
VALENTINE DANCER

Benoit Photos

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Apr. 24, 2005) – Valentine Dancer became the newest California-bred millionaire Sunday when she took a hard-fought victory in the $150,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes, the opener of the $1.3 million Cal National Gold Rush Day card at Hollywood Park.

Valentine Dancer is by In Excess, out of the Mr. Prospector mare Gilded Dancer and was bred by owners Al and Sandee Kirkwood.
She has eight wins in 22 starts, earnings of $1,008,126 and was coming off a third in the Mar. 20 Santa Ana Handicap after winning the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf for the second time. She was sixth in this race last year as the 7-5 favorite.

The 4-5 favorite this time with the scratch of Blind Ambition, Valentine Dancer was trained by Craig Lewis, ridden by Jon Court and she won by three-quarters of a length in front of longshot Smokegetenyoureyes, with second choice Scrofa third.
Valentine Dancer ran the 1 1/16 miles on turf in 1:40.53.