dancing kiki | Horse Racing Free Tips

Michael Dubb and Michael J. Caruso's Classic Lady will lead a field of seven New York-bred fillies and mares in Friday's $125,000 John Hettinger, a nine-furlong inner turf test, at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by Christophe Clement, the 6-year-old Jimmy Creed mare will face three returning foes from her third-place effort last out in the $150,000 Yaddo at 1 1/16-miles on the Mellon turf August 27 as part of New York Showcase Day at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Classic Lady, bred by Seth Gregory and Robert Barney, enjoyed a productive 2020 campaign finishing second in the one-mile Mount Vernon at Belmont ahead of a win in the 1 1/16-mile Dayatthespa on the Saratoga inner turf that registered a 91 Beyer Speed Figure. She completed last year's brief three-race campaign with a third-place finish in the Yaddo.

The veteran mare boasts a record of 20-4-5-5 with purse earnings of $291,290 and has made just two starts this season, including a close fourth off a 10-month layoff in a 1 1/16-mile optional-claiming event at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., on July 31.

“I'm struggling a little bit to get her back as good as she was last year. I thought she ran a decent race last time,” Clement said of the Yaddo effort that garnered a seasonal-best 77 Beyer. “She's trained well but I don't have her quite at the same level as I had her at last year according to the numbers.”

Clement said Classic Lady, who boasts a perfect in-the-money record on the Belmont turf of 5-2-2-1, will need all of her stamina to secure the win.

“I think she will see the mile and an eighth, but she may be a little bit better going shorter,” Clement said.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will pilot Classic Lady from the outermost post 9.

Lawrence Goichman's homebred Myhartblongstodady put together a four-race win streak from November 2019 to October 2020 that included stakes scores in last year's Yaddo and the 1 1/16-mile Ticonderoga in October at Belmont.

The ultra-consistent 6-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy is stakes placed twice this season with a third in the one-mile Plenty of Grace in April at the Big A and a close second last out in the Yaddo.

Trained by Jorge Abreu, Myhartblongstodady will exit post 8 under Jose Lezcano.

Ice Princess, trained and co-owned by Danny Gargan with Flying P Stable and R. A. Hill Stable, is graded-stakes placed on dirt having finished second in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Comely in November at the Big A. She captured the one-mile Maddie May on the Aqueduct main track in February 2020.

The Palace Malice gray, bred by Mina Equivest, is out of the Awesome Again mare Happy Clapper, who posted a record of 1-3-1 in 13 turf starts.

Ice Princess made her turf debut in June, finishing fourth in an open 1 1/16-mile allowance event after a troubled start. She enters from a four-length score in an open nine-furlong allowance event contested on a sloppy and sealed main track on August 19 at Saratoga.

Luis Saez will have the call from post 4.

Rounding out the field are Pecatonica [post 1, Jose Ortiz], a close fourth last out in the Yaddo; Dancingwthdaffodls [post 3, Eric Cancel], who saw a two-race win streak – both against optional-claimers – come to an end last out when seventh in the Yaddo; and recent allowance winner Cara's Dreamer [post 5, Dylan Davis]. Make Mischief and Dancing Kiki [sixth last out in the Yaddo] are entered for the main-track only.

The Hettinger is slated as Race 8 on Friday's 9-race card. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

The post Classic Lady Headlines Field For Friday’s John Hettinger At Belmont appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer Mike Maker continued his stellar start to the summer meet, racking up his second consecutive win on the card when Michael Dubb's Dancing Kiki set the pace and then drew away for a 4 1/2-length victory in Thursday's $100,000 Saratoga Dew for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at the Spa.

The 17th running of the Saratoga Dew – contested at 1 1/8 miles on the Spa main track – saw Maker extend his meet-leading win total to 19 as Dancing Kiki broke sharp from the inside post under Jose Ortiz, leading the five-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 23.73 seconds and the half in 48.48 on the fast surface.

Simply Ravishing, the Kenneth McPeek-trained 3-2 favorite under Luis Saez, tracked in second position and made a bid from the outside in the final turn along with Maiden Beauty. But Ortiz kept Dancing Kiki to the inside, where the 4-year-old Blame filly deftly handled the final turn and then closed strong to the wire in outkicking runner-up Maiden Beauty, completing the course in 1:51.71.

“I knew I had speed, the only question was if she would handle the mile-and-an-eighth, and she did it nicely,” Ortiz said. “She had plenty left late in the last eighth of a mile, she was still running pretty decently.”

Claimed for $35,000 out of a 5 1/4-length victory going seven furlongs on the Saratoga main track on July 22, Dancing Kiki handled the stretch out to nine furlongs with aplomb. Three of her four career victories in 23 starts have come in her last six races.

“She was doing well. I claimed her on Michael Dubb's recommendation and I ran her here on Michael Dubb's recommendation,” Maker said. “I wasn't really concerned [about stretching out.] Jose seemed to make an easy lead, so that added to the confidence.”

Dubb won his eighth race of the meet to tie Three Diamonds Farm for the lead among owners.

“When I handicapped the race, I thought McPeek's horse would be aggressive going for the lead,” Dubb said. “When I didn't see McPeek's horse on the lead, I felt pretty comfortable. I thought the fractions were reasonable.”

Off at 7-1, Dancing Kiki returned $16 on a $2 win wager. Bred in the Empire State by Dutchess Views Farm and SGO Thoroughbred, Dancing Kiki improved her career earnings to $256,230.

“It was a little bit the breeding, by Blame,” Dubb said on the decision to claim Dancing Kiki. “The horse had been running at various distances and I have had luck with Mike stretching horses out. I think he's known, whether it's turf or dirt, for stretching horses out. It seemed like a horse you could stretch out.”

Maiden Beauty, claimed for $45,000 last out by trainer Robert Falcone, Jr. for owners John Grossi's Racing Corp, finished as the runner-up for the second consecutive time, besting Mrs. Orb by a half length.

“I thought the break was the key,” said Maiden Beauty jockey Joel Rosario. “She had to sit behind the front two a little bit, but she ran well. She was just second-best today. She seemed like she handled it great. We tried to make a move, we just couldn't catch the winner.”

Espresso Shot and Simply Ravishing completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Friday at Saratoga with a 10-race card that start at 1:05 p.m. Eastern. The $120,000 Tale of the Cat, a six-furlong main track sprint for 4-year-olds and up who have not won a graded stakes this year, is carded as Race 9 at 5:39 p.m.

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