Brown Ships Etoile North for Dance Smartly Stakes

With his usual depth of talent in the female turf division again in place this season, multiple Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown has entered group 3 winner Etoile in the CA$ 175,000 Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T) Aug. 15 at Woodbine.

Now campaigned by Peter Brant and the Coolmore-associated owners of Susan Magnier and Linda Shanahan after being purchased by agent Hugo Lascelles for US$1,019,160 at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale, Etoile will try to bounce back from her North American debut earlier this season. The 4-year-old daughter of Siyouni finished eighth in the May 25 Gamely Stakes (G1T) on the Santa Anita Park turf. 

Racing in France last year, Etoile won the Prix Cleopatre (G3) at Saint-Cloud then finished fourth in the Longines Prix de Diane (G1) at Chantilly under her previous owners. Those efforts and her transfer to Brown saw her go off as the 8-5 favorite in the Gamely but her late bid proved too late and she finished eighth, 4 1/2 lengths behind winner Keeper Ofthe Stars.

While Etoile didn't immediately deliver a victory in her North American debut, she certainly showed some flash to build on, rallying from 14 lengths back early and making up 9 1/2 lengths in that 1 1/8-mile test. 

Video: Gamely S. (G1T)

In recent weeks Etoile has strung together an impressive set of official works on the turf course on the Saratoga Race Course training track, breezing four times since July 19, including a half-mile move Aug. 9 in :48.95—second-fastest of 42 works at the distance that day. She is listed as the 7-5 morning-line choice Saturday and will start from the rail.

It should be noted that French-bred Etoile should not be confused with a prominent 3-year-old Kentucky-bred filly named Etoile, a daughter of War Front  that is also campaigned by owners associated with Coolmore. Kentucky-bred Etoile finished off the board in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T).

Five other fillies and mares have been entered in Saturday's 1 1/4-mile turf test, including 2-1 second-choice Elizabeth Way, who enters off a victory over the course in the June 22 Nassau Stakes (G2T). Campaigned by John McCormack, Elizabeth Way has won three of her five North American starts after beginning her career in Ireland.

Earlier this season Canadian and American Racing Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield saddled Elizabeth Way to a victory in the 1 3/16-mile The Very One Stakes (G3T) on the Gulfstream Park turf, and a third-place finish there in this year's Orchid Stakes presented by Rood and Riddle (G3T), at 1 3/8 miles. Off her most recent effort, the 4-year-old daughter of Frankel will again stretch out Saturday as she tries to nail down the longest win of her career.

Rounding out the field are multiple grade 3-placed Theodora B.; grade 2-placed Romantic Pursuit; Art of Almost, who finished third in last year's edition of the Dance Smartly for trainer Attfield; and stakes winner Bold Script, whose seven stakes placings include a second in last year's Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser and thirds in the Natalma Stakes (G1T) and Selene Stakes (G3).