Ruffian Win Would Be Picture Perfect for Trainer Martin

With a grandfather who was a Hall of Fame trainer and a father who carried on the family tradition as a highly successful New York-based trainer, it's not surprising that Carlos Martin became a trainer with a deep appreciation for racing history.

That's why you'll find a portrait of the legendary filly Ruffian hanging on the wall in his Belmont Park office.

"Ruffian was one of the all-time greats and one of my favorite horses growing up," said the 49-year-old Martin, the son of Jose Martin and grandson of Frank "Pancho" Martin. "Years ago, when I was at Ocala for the OBS sales getting an award for training By the Firm, I saw a portrait of Ruffian at a charity auction. I was always in love with her, so I bought it."

That's also why winning the $250,000 Ruffian Stakes (G2) May 5 with his 5-year-old mare Come Dancing would have special meaning for the third-generation horseman.

"I would love to have a winner's circle shot from a race named after Ruffian to hang up next to it," he said. "That would be a dream come true."

Based on Come Dancing's last performance, that's certainly possible.

Blue Devil Racing Stable's homebred daughter of Malibu Moon  comes into the one-mile Ruffian for older fillies and mares at Belmont Park off a career-best effort in which she waltzed to a dazzling 7 3/4-length victory in the Distaff Handicap (G3). Racing for the first time in four months, she took the early lead in the seven-furlong stakes and never looked back, crossing the wire in a snappy 1:22.31 in the April 5 stakes.

Her performance earned a stellar Equibase speed figure of 120—a 14-point improvement off her previous best. That 106 figure came in Come Dancing's prior race, the Go For Wand Stakes (G3) when she lost by a neck to grade 1 winner Marley's Freedom at a one-mile distance Dec. 1.

"She blew me away in the Distaff. It was very impressive off the layoff," Martin said.

While there's always the possibility of a bounce off such a huge effort, Martin says Come Dancing was training so well lately that he could not resist the urge to tackle a small field of four rivals, including 2018 Ruffian winner Pacific Wind.

"She's doing fantastic," Martin said. "We're excited about running her. We worked her twice instead of three times by design for this. She gets a lot of out of her gallops. Her last work went as well as it possible could go (a bullet 5 furlongs in 1:00 over Belmont's training track April 28). She did it the right way and she's holding her weight.

"You always have the risk of a bounce in the back of your mind after the way she ran, but the way she is doing, I didn't think it was prudent to wait another three or five weeks to look for another spot. She's doing so well now she deserves the opportunity to run."

Martin also credited the patience of Blue Devil owner Marc Holliday, the CEO of SL Green Realty Corporation in New York, as playing a key role in the way Come Dancing has blossomed in her last few races.

"She's always had a lot of ability. We had a few little infirmities along the way, so it's great that Marc is a patient owner. He's a throwback in terms of putting the horse first and running his own stable," Martin said. "After the Go For Wand, she was good as she ever was and we decided to give her chance to come back at 5 and see if we could have a decent campaign with her. We thought the best was yet to come even though she was turning 5."

A winner of five of nine career starts, the Kentucky-bred daughter of the Tiznow  mare Tizahit has earned $339,200.

Pacific Wind will return to defend her title in the Ruffian while making her first start of 2019.

Owned by Sharon Alesia, Ciaglia Racing, Peter Brant and Dominic Savides, the 5-year-old Curlin  mare was last seen finishing third to Marley's Freedom and winding up 6 ¾ lengths behind Come Dancing.

The Ruffian was the last victory for Pacific Wind, who has four wins in 13 starts for trainer Chad Brown and has earned $450,545.

Purchased for $200,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, she was third last year in the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1).

"She's training very well," Brown said. "She put on a lot of weight during her time off. She looks better than ever."

The field also includes Aqueduct allowance winner Sun Studio, Pink Sands, who was fourth in the Inside Information Stakes (G2), and the New York State-bred Frostie Anne, who is coming off a fourth in the Top Flight Invitational.  

Entries: Ruffian S. (G2)

Belmont Park, Sunday, May 05, 2019, Race 8

• Grade II
• 1m
• Dirt
• $250,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:18 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Pacific Wind (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	123	Chad C. Brown	5/2
2	2Sun Studio (KY)	John R. Velazquez	117	Todd A. Pletcher	15/1
3	3Pink Sands (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	117	Claude R. McGaughey III	8/1
4	4Frostie Anne (NY)	Hector Rafael Diaz, Jr.	117	Rudy R. Rodriguez	12/1
5	5Come Dancing (KY)	Manuel Franco	121	Carlos F. Martin	2/5