Valentine Dancer: Dirt or Turf?

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 13, 2005) -- Valentine Dancer, winner of last year’s Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf at odds of 4-1, could defend her title in that race at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 29 or switch to the dirt and run in the $500,000 Distaff at Santa Anita.

It depends on how the 5-year-old California-bred daughter of In Excess fares in Friday’s $75,000 Paseana Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on the main track.

“The Paseana is a prep for the Sunshine Millions,” trainer Craig Lewis said. “It’s a little closer than we’d like but we don’t have much choice. The weather has set everybody back and we’d rather be safe and not have things perfect. We’ll see how she comes out of the race Friday and then make a decision.”

Valentine Dancer has a 6-3-3 record from 18 starts with earnings of $605,006 for owners Al and Sandee Kirkwood of Ridgefield, Washington.

First post time at Santa Anita on Sunshine Millions day is 11:45 a.m. The festive eight-race program consisting of four races each at Santa Anita and Gulfstream matching California-breds against Florida-breds will be televised nationally on NBC from 1-3 p.m.

In other Sunshine Millions developments:
Leonard Dorfman expects an improved performance from McCann’s Mojave in the $300,000 Sprint at Santa Anita. “According to the rider (Jose Valdivia Jr.), from the word go he wasn’t handling the track,” the 82-year-old trainer said of the California-bred gelding’s fifth-place finish in the El Conejo Handicap on a track condition that had just been changed from “sloppy” to “wet/fast.” McCann’s Mojave worked four furlongs Thursday on Santa Anita’s fast track in :47.60.

Blake Heap, assistant to Wesley Ward, said Bear Fan is pointing to the $300,000 Filly & Mare Sprint at Gulfstream Park.

Regular nominations at $500 for the Sunshine Millions close on Saturday. Pre-entries will be taken next Wednesday, while the post position draw is Jan. 24.