Dancing Allstar · 11.09.08

Dancing Allstar was the top 2-year-old filly in Canada last year, and she picked up this year where she left off by winning three consecutive sprints: the Mt. Royal Handicap at Calgary’s Stampede Park in May, then the Emerald Downs and CTHS Stakes at Hastings. Owner Bob Cheema and trainer Terry Jordan then opted to take their star filly on the road and test her against top American distaffers. After a tough trip (“She was in the van for 14 hours. They had an unexpected layover in Kentucky, and then she had the flight. It took a lot out of her”, said Jordan later) she ran in the Grade III Azalea Stakes at Miami’s Calder Race Course on July 12. “Allstar” tracked the pace behind the speedy Indyanne, but eventually tired to finish third.

A month later the chestnut filly was at Woodbine for the $150,000 Duchess Stakes. She trained well leading up to the race, but the race itself was a disaster. Ridden by Jim McAleney rather than her regular jockey Mario Gutierrez, Dancing Allstar was reportedly bent in half down the backstretch while setting a slow pace, rather than allowed to run and use her natural speed to advantage. Exhausted by the tight restraint she faded badly to finish seventh out of eight.

I didn’t actually see Dancing Allstar make her return to Hastings the Saturday before Labour Day, but I did read the reports of her loss in the Hong Kong Jockey Club Handicap. She was the odds-on favourite going into that race., and led early. In the above picture (courtesy of Dr. Tim Yatczak), Dancing Allstar (5) is setting the pace along the backstretch, with the eventual winner Lecturing Lynn (1) pressing the pace on the inside. But she gave way after about 1/2 mile and finished way back.

My source at Hastings later told me that Dancing Allstar had any number of excuses that day. It turns out that she had burned her heels in the Azalea — that is, she struck and skidded on the hard track surface at Calder and wore through the bandages around her rear fetlocks — the equine equivalent of road rash. Then at Woodbine she flipped her palate — another possible reason for her poor performance in the Duchess. The physical problems, rough travel, and two tough races combined to make her a very tired and reluctant racer in the HCJC. Apparently the usually eager filly had to be coaxed into the starting gate, and then had to be hustled to the front where she would have normally set or press the early pace.

As I suspected they would, Dancing Allstar’s connections have bowed to the inevitable. Trainer Jordan saw the obvious signals and has decided to skip the B.C. Oaks and give his star a much-needed farm rest. “She’s sound, so we’ll give her the rest of the year off, and hopefully she’ll bounce back next year” he told the Daily Racing Form. While it is unfortunate that the Oaks will be missing one of its potential stars, this is the right decision, a perfect example of doing what’s best for the horse, rather than squeezing the lemon one more time and risking an injury. Terry Jordan and Bob Cheema should be commended for doing right by Dancing Allstar — here’s hoping we’ll see her again next year, healthy and better than ever.

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What do you think?

  1. Thank goodness SOMEONE listens to the HORSE and not the connections. I am glad there are not many D. Wayne Lukas’s around any longer who would keep going not matter how much the animal said to the contrarry.

    — Dr, Timothy Yatcak · Sep 12, 10:16 AM · #

  2. I will never forget the miserable little gal Lady’s Secret bolting on the turn before D. Wayne figured out what almost everyone else in racing had already: SHE needed a rest, just like this one

    — Dr, Timothy Yatcak · Sep 12, 01:54 PM · #

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