Dance Quietly, carrying the colors
of the late Edward P. Evans, rallied along the rail Saturday afternoon to win
the 38th running of the $65,000 Busanda at Aqueduct Racetrack,
giving the stable its first winner since the prominent owner and breeder passed
away on December 31.
The homebred daughter of
A.P. Indy filly, a half-sister to 2005 Horse of the Year Saint Liam and the
favorite in the field of seven 3-year-old fillies, raced in fourth as Queen’s
Harbor led through an opening half-mile in 48.19 and three-quarters in 1:13.69.
Sent through an opening on the inside by jockey Ramon Dominguez, Dance Quietly
quickly drove to the front and went on to a 1 ¾-length victory over Moonlit
Malibu.
Her winning time for the mile and
70 yards was 1:45.05 over a fast track, and gave Dominguez his fourth of five
winners on the day.
“It looked like she was beat at
the five-sixteenths pole, but when the rail opened up for us, that was very
helpful and she got through,” said Dominguez, the leading rider on The New York
Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit for the last two years. “I felt like
she was kind of green, looking around, so there is room for improvement.”
It was the second straight win for
Dance Quietly, who broke her maiden in her third career start at Monmouth Park in November. Seventh in her debut
at Saratoga Race Course in August, the gray filly next finished second to
Joyful Victory at Delaware
Park at the Busanda
distance.
“She’s obviously a talented horse
with a bright future,” said Jonathan Thomas, assistant to winning trainer Todd
Pletcher. “For obvious reasons, it is a special win for us, and I’m sure for
the whole team at the farm. She’s just one example of the great job Mr. Evans
has done as a breeder. We are going to miss him.”
Sent off at 8-5 by the crowd of
5,201, Dance Quietly returned $5.40 for a $2 win wager. Racing in the name of
the Edward P. Evans Foundation and carrying his familiar yellow-and-black
silks, she doubled her earnings to $77,950 with the winner’s purse of $39,000.
Moonlit Malibu was another 1 ¾
lengths ahead of Daring Reality, with Lake Song, Queen’s Harbor, Bandola, and
Aba Dabbler completing the order of finish.