Victory Nor Defeat, Dance Champion shine in Gulfstream maidens

Victory Nor Defeat, Dance Champion shine in Gulfstream

maidens

Triple Crown nominee Victory Nor Defeat opened his career with a rallying

victory in Saturday's

7TH race at Gulfstream Park, one of a trio of maiden races featuring

promising three-year-olds on the card. Owned by Sagamore Farm and trained by

Ralph Nicks, the Unbridled's Song colt drew off by three lengths while

completing seven fast-track furlongs in 1:23 1/5.

Victory Nor Defeat was dispatched at 5-1 with Hall of Fame rider John

Velazquez. The newly-blinkered Athens, who was sixth to Constitution in his

premiere at this track and trip January 11, was accorded 3-2 favoritism. But

Athens went to his knees at the start, and although the Bill Mott pupil worked

his way to within striking range, he came up empty down the lane.

Drawn just to the inside of Athens in post 2, Victory Nor Defeat was

patiently handled in sixth in the early going. Up front, the 5-2 C J's Awesome

was reeling off splits of :22 3/5 and :45 2/5 on the fast track. Hallowed, a

21-1 longshot, stalked in second before overtaking the pacesetter in the

stretch.

By that time, however, Victory Nor Defeat was kicking into high gear on the

outside, and he readily pulled clear. Hallowed held second by two lengths, while

Athens and C J's Awesome checked in fifth and sixth, respectively, in the

eight-horse field.

Victory Nor Defeat deposited $23,400 into his account. Bred by KatieRich

Farms in Kentucky, the bay colt has toured the auction ring four times at

various Fasig-Tipton sales. After RNA'ing for $125,000 as a Saratoga yearling,

he sold for $120,000 two months later at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October. Victory

Nor Defeat likewise RNA'd for $235,000 as a two-year-old in training at Fasig-Tipton's

Florida Sale, then went to his current connections for $220,000 at Midlantic

last May.

"He's a really nice horse," Nicks said. "For him to win first time is a

bonus, because he's not really the type for me that normally wins first time.

He's not that fast horse that just runs everything off their feet, so it was a

big race."

The trainer believes that Victory Nor Defeat can make his way onto the Triple

Crown trail.

"I would think so," Nicks said. "He has the pedigree to run on. He looks the

part and he moves the part, and he's smart enough."

"Just keep him sound," Velazquez told Nicks when coming into the winner's

circle.

Out of the Grade 3-placed Affirmed mare Daisyago, Victory Nor Defeat hails

from the family of Grade/Group 3 winners Spring Meadow and Platinum Kingdom. His

third dam, Grade 2 heroine Queen of Song, is a full sister to Grade 1-winning

sire Cormorant. This is also the female line of Irish highweight Emulous.

One race earlier in the

6TH, Robert S. Evans' homebred Dance Champion traveled and quickened like a

classy individual in a one-mile turf maiden. The 2-1 favorite off a third to

Ironicus here on January 1, the Christophe Clement sophomore was perched just

off the pace by Julien Leparoux, and appeared ready to assert on cue. Dance

Champion duly delivered turning for home and won by three lengths as much the

best, stopping the clock in 1:35 2/5.

"Nice horse, nice run," Clement said. "He's a fit horse

today, and he's got a career ahead of him. I'm a lucky man."

Charge Now, the Tiznow half-brother to 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super

Saver, had a troubled trip in his debut and did well to get up for second. Early

leader Unikat, a royally-bred son of Galileo, faded under pace pressure and

ended up trailing home.

Dance Champion, who is not nominated to the Triple Crown, has now earned

$27,600 from his 2-1-0-1 line. The Medaglia d'Oro colt was produced by Grade 3

queen Dance Away Capote, a six-time stakes winner over dirt and turf. As her

name implies, she is a daughter of Capote, and her family boasts Hall of Famer

Skip Away.

Sophomore fillies kicked off the sequence in the

5TH race on dirt, with Michael B. Tabor's Lucky for You emphatically

justifying 8-5 favoritism in her first opportunity around two turns. Under

Javier Castellano, the Todd Pletcher trainee was well placed in second,

observing the steady pace set by Quinnkat. Lucky for You made her move in the

stretch, collared the leader, and surged five lengths clear. Quinnkat crossed

the wire 5 1/4 lengths ahead of third.

Lucky for You, who negotiated 1 1/16 miles in 1:43 1/5, was breaking through

at third asking. Third in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint here on December 20, she played

second fiddle to House Rules around the one-turn mile on January 17. The added

ground suited the Malibu Moon filly, as did having a target instead of arguing

the pace herself. Her scorecard now reads 3-1-1-1, $35,580.

"I was very pleased," Pletcher said. "We were looking forward to stretching her

out and she got a really nice trip today, was able to stalk one horse in a good,

comfortable rhythm and I thought she finished up really well.

"We'll see how she comes out of it, but we feel like she's a stakes-caliber

filly."

Bred by Dixiana Farms in Kentucky, Lucky for You brought $310,000 as a

Keeneland September yearling. She is out of the stakes-winning Touch Gold mare

Ayla Bella, and her second dam is Grade 1-placed Bello Cielo. Further back in

the line, one finds Grade 3-winning sire Horatius.

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