Dancing Buck Romps in Belmont Turf Sprint
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Susie Raisher
Dancing Buck gallops home in the Belmont Turf Sprint at Aqueduct Racetrack
J and N Stables and Diamond M Stable's Dancing Buck broke sharply and took a lead he never relinquished Oct. 1, leading at every point of call en route to a five-length victory in the $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint (G3T) during the Belmont at the Big A meet.
The 4-year-old New York-bred War Dancer gelding, who trainer Michelle Nevin elevated to graded stakes company for the first time in his 14th start Saturday, broke on top in the six-furlong test for for 3-year-olds and older and was sent to the front by jockey Manny Franco. Dancing Buck led the nine-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in :23.19 and the half in :46.25 on a yielding outer turf course.
Dancing Buck posted five-eighths of a mile in :57.69 and continued strong to the wire in a final time of 1:09.60 to earn his first stakes score.
"I wanted to break sharp and be close, I didn't want him to get parked too far away," Nevin said. "Manny did a hell of a job getting him out there and to the lead like that.
"He's such a nice, easy-going horse. He'll just wait on the jock to tell him what to do. I wasn't concerned that he was going to go to the lead and go too fast, he's very, very ratable."
Voodoo Zip edged Yes and Yes by a neck for runner-up status, with Arzak , Thin White Duke , Chewing Gum , Scuttlebuzz , Seven Scents , and Value Proposition completing the order of finish. Noble Emotion , Nothing Better , Fauci , and main-track only entrant Greeley and Ben were scratched.
Sent off at odds of 4-1, Dancing Buck returned $10.60 on a $2 win wager.
"I took advantage of the break because he broke so sharp," Franco said. "I just went on with him and he did the rest. He was nice and comfortable on the lead and he got it done. He's getting better with age and Michelle has been doing a great job with this horse."
Bred by J and N Stables out of the Catienus mare Frivolous Buck, he ran well in a second consecutive stake after finishing second to Thin White Duke by a nose in the Sept. 2 Lucky Coin Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.
Nevin left open the possibility of targeting the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) Nov. 5 at Keeneland next.
"I'd really like that. I thought he ran huge in Saratoga going five and a half (furlongs)," she said. "He was unlucky to get nipped up there (in the Lucky Coin)."
Dancing Buck improved his career earnings to $431,770, with a 6-3-1 record in 14 starts. He is the lone graded winner for his dam, who has two winners from five foals to race. Her last reported foal is an unraced 2-year-old full sister to Dancing Buck named Mz Big Bucks. She was reported bred back to War Dancer for 2023.