Society Reaches Another High in Ballerina Score

Lightly raced and away from the winner's circle for nearly a year to the day, Society  ran according to plan in taking the $500,000 Ballerina Handicap (G1) Aug. 24 at Saratoga Race Course.

Stalking the early pace set by Munnys Gold  through fractions of :22.65 and :44.82, the daughter of Gun Runner   sat off the leader up the backstretch of the seven-furlong Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race, sailing past her rival heading into the far turn and making the lead as she hit the quarter pole.

Even-money favorite Vahva  had sat three lengths off the lead and ventured up the rail to contend for second before being passed by Scylla , with Vahva settling for third. Final time of the race was 1:22 and Society paid $9.40 to win, the third betting choice behind even-money Vahva and 5-2 Scylla.

"This is a free-running filly," said rider Tyler Gaffalione, who as of Saturday sat second in the Saratoga jockey standings with 34 wins, five behind leading Irad Ortiz Jr. "I just try to stay out of her way and get along with her. (Trainer) Steve (Asmussen) knows her best and that's kind of been the plan all along with her, so just try and get along."

He credited the 5-year-old mare's improved performance to running in the second start off a layoff.

"Last time, we weren't all in," he said. "Obviously, we had bigger things on the horizon being today. We just wanted to make sure she broke alertly that day. We got enough out of the race, and she came out of it well, so it set us up well for today."

Positano Sunset  finished fourth, followed by Shidabhuti , Chi Town Lady , and Munnys Gold. Accede  was scratched. 

The winner, a Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds homebred, was making her second start this year after finishing third in the Chicago Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs June 22. Her seven-month layoff following a fourth-place finish in the 2023 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) was intentional, said Steve Asmussen, who also trained the mare's Hall of Fame sire. 

"We wanted the Breeders' Cup to be her third race, and we planned her schedule with these three races in mind," he said, referring to the Chicago Stakes, the Ballerina, and the Breeders' Cup. "She's obviously very fast and very generous, so we gave her more spacing in her works, and she came back in training to get to the Breeders' Cup." 

Society is out of the Tapit   mare Etiquette , who was also bred by Blum and who is a half sibling to Pleasant Prince (Indy King), a graded stakes winner with earnings just shy of $700,000. Including the Ballerina purse, Society has earned $1,839,535.

"We obviously appreciate that Mr. Blum left a grade 1-winning mare in training and showed the patience that he did this year," said Asmussen. "I think she's better than ever, and today was the perfect place to showcase that." 

The Ballerina is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series, which grants the winner an automatic, fees-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint Nov. 2 at Del Mar. 

"She ran honorably last year," said Asmussen, "And this year we think we can do better."