Never Retreat hurls back challenges in Dance Smartly
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Team Block's NEVER RETREAT (Smart Strike) was unable to give Bay to Bay (Sligo Bay [Ire]) four pounds in the June 4 Nassau S. (Can-G2), but turned the tables back at level weights in Sunday's $313,395 Dance Smartly S. (Can-G2) at Woodbine. After tracking the pacesetting War Tigress (War Chant) through splits of :24 4/5, :48 1/5 and 1:11 1/5 on the firm turf, the Chris Block trainee took over in the stretch and rebuffed a pair of challenges. Defending champion Mekong Melody (Ire) (Cape Cross [Ire]) was the first to threaten, but Never Retreat repelled her in midstretch and had more than enough left to stave off the rallying 3-1 favorite Bay to Bay by 1 1/4 lengths. Sent off as the 4-1 second choice with Shaun Bridgmohan, Never Retreat negotiated 1 1/8 miles on the firm turf in 1:46 2/5. "She's such an honest filly and she broke sharply and wanted to put herself in the game," Bridgmohan said. "She's an old pro. She does everything right and I just felt I was a winner because she was so comfortable at every point that I just let her do her thing.
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"She's a filly that's so relaxed sitting off of horses, and when she made the
lead she was looking around for competition. I switched sticks left-handed and
she gave me what I needed."
Bay to Bay, who awaited room at the top of the stretch before striking on the
outside, had a half-length to spare over third-placer Mekong Melody. Miss Keller
(Ire) (Montjeu [Ire]) closed from last for fourth, while War Tigress brought up
the rear of the 10-horse field.
Never Retreat was registering her sixth career stakes victory. The
six-year-old has been in the form of her life this season, capturing the Jenny
Wiley S. (G2) and Honey Fox S. (G3), and she was most recently runner-up in the
Nassau. Never Retreat's scorecard now stands at 28-9-7-6, $867,255, reflecting a
dozen stakes placings.
"The biggest asset for this filly is that she's a class act," said David
Block of the Team Block ownership group.
"Nothing bothers her -- she can do anything. In the final analysis, she never
retreats."
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