$500,000 Cloverleaf Farms Filly & Mare Turf

HALLANDALE, Fla. (Jan. 25, 2005) – Moscow Burning could become a millionaire and Valentine Dancer a two-time winner when they lead a group of five California-breds in Saturday’s $500,000 Cloverleaf Farms Filly & Mare Turf on the Sunshine Millions card at 1 1/8 miles on the Gulfstream Park turf course.

Moscow Burning is by Moscow Ballet, out of the Mr. Leader mare Burning Desire, was bred by Harris Farms and Ken Maddy Trust and is owned by Jeffrey Mariani, Michael Nentwig and Dallas Van Kempen.

A $25,000 claim 16 months ago, Moscow Burning has won eight of 20 races and $807,535. The highlight last year was a win in the Grade II Sheepshead Bay, but she also won the Fran’s Valentine and was second in this race by three-quarters of a length. In her most recent race, she finished fourth, only three-quarters of a length from first, in the Grade I Hollywood Turf Cup against males Dec. 4.

Valentine Dancer is the defending champion of the Filly & Mare Turf. She is by In Excess, out of the mare Gilded Dancer and was bred by owners Al and Sandee Kirkwood. The three-time stakes winner finished second coming off an eight-month layoff I the Jan. 14 Paseana. She has six wins in 19 starts with earnings of $625,126. Among her wins are the Cat’s Cradle and the Harold C. Ramser Handicap.

Tucked Away is by Unusual Heat, out of the Be a Native mare Chemolo, was bred by Madeline Auerbach and is owned by Nico Nierenberg. She has four wins in 23 starts and earnings of $345,488. She is coming off a seventh in the Dec. 29 Work the Crowd and earlier in the year won the Solana Beach. She was seventh in this race a year ago.

Scrofa is coming off a 5 ½-length victory in the Work the Crowd Handicap for California-bred fillies and mares at Golden Gate Fields. She also is by Unusual Heat, out of the Flying Victor mare Maestra Mia, was bred by Costas Constantinou and is owned by STD Racing Stable and Omar Aldabbagh. It was her fifth win in 17 starts and raised her earnings to $172,120.

Shalini is by Urgent Request, out of the Falstaff mare Code It Nikki, was bred by Briere Thoroughbreds and is owned by Briere and Briere. She has five wins in 28 starts with earnings of $395,530. She is coming off a second in the Work the Crowd. Three of her wins are stakes, but she is winless over the past 17 months.

Among the top Florida-bred contenders is Changing World.