Wise Dan wins Firecracker in turf debut

by Vance Hanson

Marked down as promising sprinter when taking the Phoenix S. (Grade 3) and

running a close sixth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (Grade 1) last autumn, Mort

Fink's homebred Wise Dan had fallen on hard times

prior to Monday's $203,000

Firecracker H. (Grade 2) at Churchill Downs. Unplaced in three starts

earlier this  season, the four-year-old gelding opened up new doors

for himself by taking the one-mile Firecracker in emphatic style in his

first start on the grass.

Enjoying an ideal stalking in trip in third behind Plutonium, who set an opening quarter of :23 4/5, and Strike Impact, who led through a half in :47 and three-quarters in

1:11, Wise Dan took off after that pair with just over a furlong and

remaining and drove home a decisive 2 3/4-length winner under Jon Court.

The final time over a course labeled firm was 1:34 2/5. Overlooked at

14-1, Wise Dan paid $30.60, $12 and $7.40.

Baryshnikov, the 5-2 favorite off a second-place effort to

Paddy O'Prado in the Dixie S. (Grade 2), rallied too late and outfinished a tiring

Strike Impact for second by a neck. Mystic was another 3 1/4

lengths behind in fourth and was followed by Lubhash, Plutonium, General

Quarters, Joshua Reynolds, El Caballo and Omniscient. Mister Marti Gras was scratched.

Unplaced in his career debut in February 2010, Wise Dan won his next three in

succession including the Phoenix at Keeneland, where he prevailed by a

half-length coming from off the pace. He rebounded from his sixth in the

Breeders' Cup, where he finished 2 1/2 lengths behind Big Drama, to

take a Churchill allowance in his sophomore finale.

Wise Dan's 2011 campaign had been sub-par prior to the Firecracker. Fourth as

the even-money favorite in the Commonwealth S. (Grade 2) at Keeneland, he set the

pace before tiring to eighth in the Alysheba S. (Grade 3), then disappointed again as

the public choice in a June 10 allowance over Churchill's main track. With this

victory, his record stands at 10-5-0-0, $323,047.

Wise Dan is the third stakes winner produced by Lisa Danielle, the others being Grade 2 hero Successful Dan and

stakes vixen Our Royal Dancer. Last fall, Successful Dan won the Fayette

S. (Grade 2) and was disqualified from first to third in the Clark H. (Grade 1), but is

currently sidelined indefinitely due to infirmities. Lisa Danielle has also

reared a yearling filly by War Chant.

This female family is also responsible for German Group 1 hero Scalo and Grade 2 winner Siphon City. Wise Dan's fourth dam was Kalila, a half-sister to French champion and classic winner Val

de Loir and Irish champion and dual classic winner Valoris II.