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.

Judy the Beauty has endured a case of seconditis in major stakes over the

past several seasons. Her lone stakes win thus far, in a restricted event at

Woodbine as a juvenile, has been followed by runner-up finishes in the Spinaway,

Prioress, Gallant Bloom Handicap, Winning Colors, and the Princess Rooney

Handicap. In the latter, she could not completely overcome a slow start and

finished 3 3/4 lengths behind the returning Starship Truffles, a Marty Wolfson-trained

ex-claimer that has won 14 of 24 overall.

The Ballerina field is completed by Villanesca, Street Girl, Moment in Dixie,

and Sure Route.

Earlier in the program, last year's Vosburgh winner and Breeders' Cup Sprint

runner-up The Lumber Guy returns to action in the $100,000

Chowder's First, a 6 1/2-furlong dash restricted to New York-breds that have

not won a stakes this year.

Back with trainer Michael Hushion, for whom he raced through last November's

Breeders' Cup, the Lumber Guy has not seen action since February, when he

finished a distant seventh in the San Carlos at Santa Anita. He had occupied the

same position in the December 26 Malibu over the same track, and was under the

tutelage of Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale for both outings.

Night Maneuver, an impressive 5 3/4-length winner over open second-level

allowance company at the Spa on July 22, is another leading contender.

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