Ladies lead the way on Kentucky Downs' opening day

Ice Wine Stable's To My Valentine showed plenty of heart in the $130,937

Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint to kick off the Franklin, Kentucky, turf

track's meet on Saturday.

With David Flores aboard, the Wesley Ward pupil led all the way around the

undulating, European-style course while chased by 2-1 favorite Magical Moon, who

was exiting a half-length second in the August 12 Coronation Cup at Saratoga. To

My Valentine posted fractions of :23 2/5 and :48 4/5 before heading into the

stretch still maintaining the advantage over her persistent rival.

Both fillies were looking for a first stakes win in this spot, but To My

Valentine proved too much for Magical Moon, finishing 6 1/2 furlongs over the

firm turf in 1:17 while a head clear on the wire.

Sent off the 7-2 third choice, the French-bred sophomore paid $9 to win.

Magical Moon had 5 1/2 lengths to spare over third-placer Soft Whisper while New

Wave rounded out the top four. Yankee Union, Classy Zip, Anniversary Girl, Bahia

Beach, Formal Plan and Gunforhome completed the order under the wire after Cat

Lore was withdrawn.

To My Valentine was one up on Magical Moon, having captured her last start at

Saratoga on July 26 when four lengths the best against optional claiming rivals.

The chestnut daughter of Dyhim Diamond, who began her career in her native

country, shipped stateside this year after racking up placings in a French Group

3 and listed contest.

To My Valentine was second in her U.S. debut and just missed by a head after

leading the way in the Allen LaCombe Memorial at Fair Grounds before suffering a

sixth-place finish in the Appalachian at Keeneland in April. Given a couple

months off following that effort, she returned to be second in a Churchill Downs

allowance prior to her Saratoga victory most recently.

Now boasting a 3-5-1 mark from 12 career starts, To My Valentine has banked

$214,907 lifetime. She is out of the Monashee Mountain mare Lisselan Firefly.

Jockey Joe Rocco Jr. utilized the same front-running tactics one race later

in piloting Ramona S. Bass' homebred Dancing to Town to victory in the $167,325

Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf. The duo were one length up on Lily the Pink on the

wire as the 5-1 fourth pick.

Dancing to Town led the way through splits of :27 1/5, :48 2/5 and 1:11 3/5

with Lily the Pink saving ground just in behind along the rail. Run a Risk and

Gleaning raced in tandem with Lily the Pink, but it was the railbird who ended

up threatening in the lane. Angling out, Lily the Pink put in a game run but

just could not get by Dancing to Town, who finished a mile on the green in 1:35

2/5 to pay $12.60 for the win.

Nashindy finished third and was followed by Dame Marie, Pavla, Run a Risk,

Drama Drama, near 7-2 favorite Sisterhood, Gleaning and Timezone. Both Awesome

Flower and Unavailable were scratched.

Dancing to Town was third last year in her first try against stakes rivals,

the De La Rose, before running off-the-board in her final three starts of the

season. The Michael Matz-trained daughter of Speightstown opened her

five-year-old campaign with a five-length victory at Keeneland before shipping

north of the border to be fourth in the Nassau at Woodbine.

Entering the Ladies Turf off an unplaced effort in the Windward at Presque

Isle Downs, Dancing to Town added a first stakes win to her resume, which

currently stands at 14-4-0-2, $216,503.

The chestnut mare is out of the winning Dynaformer mare Choreograph, making

her a half-sister to dual stakes scorer Welcome Dance and a full sibling to the

stakes-placed Fredericksburg.

Cheyenne Stables' Mystical Star closed out the stakes action when rallying for a

neck win

in the $162,388

Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon with Brice Blanc aboard. The

Ghostzapper mare completed 1 5 1/16 miles on the sod in 2:11.30 to establish a new

course record.

Unlike the earlier stakes scorers, Mystical Star wasn't on the lead during the backstretch

run. Instead, the bay five-year-old settled in a good midpack spot as 7-2 favorite

Prissy led the way while pressed by Draw It to her outside.

Daydreaming Gracie and Preferential were also keeping in close contact, and the

latter moved up to take command on the outside entering the long final turn.

Preferential drew off a bit at first, but Mystical Star was just

beginning her run. The Christophe Clement trainee flew home to earn her first

victory since the 2012 New York Stakes and return $9.60 for the win.

Preferential was best-of-the-rest, 2 1/4 lengths in front of Angel Terrace, who

in turn was two lengths clear of Left a Message on the line. Midnight Music,

Beijoca, Heart of Destiny, Daydreamin Gracie, Layali Dubai, Prissy and Draw It

completed the order of finish following the scratch of Dane Street and

also-eligible Archetype.

While winless since her Grade 2 victory at Belmont last June, Mystical Star

has still managed to be close on a number of occasions. The bay mare closed out

2012 with a second in the Spinster and just missed by a neck when filling that

same spot in the Long Island Handicap at Aqueduct in November.

Thus far this year Mystical Star has placed in the Hillsborough and Waya, and

now boasts $532,617 in career earnings to go along with her 17-5-3-2 scorecard.

The Kentucky-bred five-year-old is out of the unraced Capote mare Capture a

Star and counts as her second dam multiple Grade 2 queen Degenerate Gal.

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