It was business as usual for Tidal Dance in the 139th
running of the $100,000 Ladies Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack Saturday afternoon,
as she drew away to a 2¼ length-win for her second straight stakes victory.
Jockey Channing Hill kept the 5-year-old daughter of
Pleasant Tap in hand through early fractions of 24.93 and 50.71. After
taking the lead from pacesetter Love’s Blush at the quarter pole, Tidal Dance
drew away to a clear victory.
Her final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:53.59 as she added
the Ladies to her victory in the Affectionately Stakes on January 17.
“Love’s Blush and Quiet Mover broke sharply and my filly
broke a tad slow,” Hill said. “But Mr. Hushion [trainer Mike Hushion]
has done such a great job of getting her to relax; you can do practically
anything with her the first part of the race. Then, on the turn, she really comes
running. She put in a sustained run at the three-eighths pole and that’s what
won the race. She did it easily.”
While Tidal Dance has come from off the pace in her two most
recent wins, Hushion said he believed the Ladies might set up differently for
the mare.
“There didn’t appear to be much speed today, which changed
everything,” said Hushion, who trains Tidal Dance for Marc Ferrell. “We thought
she might end up on the lead, but she just wasn’t in the mood for it. She’s a
very nice filly and we’ll have to see how she comes out of this, and then plan
a campaign for her. The nice part about her is that I don’t think she’s
going to have distance limitations, which opens up a lot of options.”
Tidal Dance is now 5-5-2 from 20 starts. She earned
$60,000 for today’s victory, pushing her lifetime earnings to $237,506 and
returning $3.00 as the overwhelming 1/2 favorite in the field of four.
Love’s Blush held on for second, Distinctively was third,
and Quiet Mover completed the order of finish. Weathered was scratched.