Dance to Bristol seeks seventh straight in Ballerina

A gem of consistency, Dance to Bristol will enter Friday's Grade 1, $500,000

Ballerina

at Saratoga riding a six-race win streak for owner Susan Wantz and trainer Ollie

Figgins III. In order to extend that skein in the seven-furlong dash for fillies

and mares, she will have to get by 10 rivals while breaking from post 1.

Worse than second only once in 17 career outings, Dance to Bristol has

developed from a regional powerhouse in the Mid-Atlantic into New York's leading

female sprinter this summer. The Speightstown filly has captured the last two

major stakes in the division on the circuit -- the Bed o' Roses Handicap and the

Honorable Miss Handicap -- though the latter, on July 29, proved to be a

nail-biter as she just got up in the final strides to beat returning longshot

Classic Point.

The stretch-out from six to seven furlongs Friday should work in Dance to

Bristol's favor. A stalk-and-pounce type, she should get a positive pace

scenario with Classic Point, Vagrancy Handicap winner Glorious View, and Bed o'

Roses runner-up Fantasy of Flight all likely to show early foot.

Book Review's last trip around the Saratoga oval, in last year's Test, was

not a positive one. Bumped soon after the break of that seven-furlong fixture

for three-year-old fillies, the Giant's Causeway miss dropped back 15 lengths

back at the first call and only passed a few rivals by the finish.

Book Review has since developed into Southern California's leading filly in

this division since joining the Bob Baffert barn last winter, taking the La Brea

at Santa Anita and the A Gleam Handicap at Hollywood Park. She also posted

runner-up finishes in the La Canada and the Santa Maria, both at 1 1/16 miles.