Danzatrice Dominates Tiffany Lass Stakes
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Photo: Hodges Photography/Amanda Hodges Weir
Florent Geroux aboard Danzatrice wins the 52nd running of the Tiffany Lass Overnight Stakes at the Fair Grounds.
Gainesway Stable's Danzatrice impressed onlookers with a facile 7 1/4-length victory in the $50,000 Tiffany Lass Stakes Dec. 26 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
The daughter of Dunkirk sat comfortably in second as Fox Hill Farm's Cinnamon Spice set a moderate early pace under Mitchell Murrill before launching a bid at the three-furlong pole and pulling clear at the top of the stretch.
Chased home by Brereton Jones and Timothy Thornton's grade I-winning 1-2 favorite Include Betty under Gabriel Saez, the chestnut dismissed said rival, widening through the stretch under Florent Geroux and giving trainer Steve Asmussen his second stakes win of the 2016-17 meet.
It was another 2 1/2 lengths astern Include Betty to William Stiritz's late-running Rosie My Rosie, who passed Cinnamon Sugar in the final strides under journeyman Robby Albarado. Trailing the quintet at the wire was Wes Hawley and Hooties Racing's well-beaten Street Thunder under Miguel Mena.
"She was great today," Geroux said. "She was very relaxed and sat behind (Cinnamon Spice). When I asked her turning for home, it was pretty much over. She took off."
The victory was Danzatrice's second career stakes tally, but first for Asmussen. Previously trained by Cathal Lynch, she made her first six starts between July 2014 and July 2015—including a fourth in the grade I Acorn Stakes behind Curalina—before heading to the sidelines for 15 months and resurfacing in a Delta Downs allowance for Asmussen on Oct. 22. Romping by 6 1/2 lengths that day, she returned four weeks later to finish third in the $194,000 Treasure Chest Stakes at that course as the 9-5 second choice. In her third race off the layoff on Saturday, she did not disappoint, winning for the fifth time in nine starts and increasing her career bankroll to $227,865 with the $31,000 winner's portion.
A $105,000 purchase as a 2-year-old at the 2014 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. April 2-year-old sale, Danzatrice returned $8.40, $3 and $2.40. Include Betty returned $2.10 and $2.10, while Rosie My Rosie returned $3.20 to show.