Valentine Dancer
AP/Equi-Photo Bill Denver Photo
$500,000 Cloverleaf Farms Filly & Mare Turf
VALENTINE DANCER

HALLANDALE, Fla. (Jan. 29, 2005) – California-bred defending champion Valentine Dancer upset favorite Moscow Burning for a repeat victory Saturday in the $500,000 Cloverleaf Farms Filly & Mare Turf on the Sunshine Millions card at Gulfstream Park.

Valentine Dancer is by In Excess, out of the Mr. Prospector mare Gilded Dancer and was bred by owners Al and Sandra Kirkwood. She was trained by Craig Lewis and ridden by Jon Court.

In becoming the first two-time winner of a Sunshiine Millions race, she earned $275,000 and raised her career earnings to $900,126. She won the race at Santa Anita a year ago Moscow Burning, the 6-5 favorite, finished fifth, three necks and a head back.

Valentine Dancer was coming off a second in the Jan. 14 Paseana Handicap. She has seven wins in 20 career victories. She ran the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.20, winning by a neck, with six horses finishing within 1 ½ lengths, and paid $19 to win.

“I let her take her time and she responded as she always does when I asked her,” said Court.