Aptly named Come Dancing bounces to a Ballerina Stakes win

The hunch play of the Travers Stakes card — a mare named Come Dancing going favored in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina Stakes — paid off at Saratoga.

The 3-5 favorite in a field of five, Come Dancing was left at the break Saturday and forced to rally wide as respected rivals Separationofpowers and Mia Mischief battled on the lead.

But jockey Javier Castellano had plenty to work with when Come Dancing, a daughter of Malibu Moon, hit the top of the stretch. The winner showed swift turn of foot to pull away and coast under the wire in a final time of 1:21.48 for seven furlongs.

"I'm really fortunate I've got a great owner who gave me a lot of time and patience with this filly," said trainer Carlos Martin, "and Javier working with us every week getting up to this race -- it paid off.

"...He had the patience to just let her settle. That's why he's Javier Castellano. We're very fortunate."

The victory earned Come Dancing a “Win and You’re In” spot in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint and secured her as a specialist around one turn.

Blue Devil Racing Stable's Marc Holliday said he's seen Come Dancing miss the break before, but "she has so much talent. She can overcome it.

"Only Javy and Come Dancing can sweep the field in a Grade 1 after that break and win by four or five lengths coming home. What a tremendous filly she is."

"On paper, she looked like the horse to be in the lead, but in my heart I felt she didn't have to be on the lead today," Castellano said. "...I took my time to move up and control the race. She's a wonderful filly and she's so kind. You can do whatever you want with her. In the stretch, she proved she was much the best the way she did it."

Come Dancing opened her season 2-for-2 with a Beyer Speed Figure reaching as high as 114 but most recently had been defeated around two turns by division leader Midnight Bisou in the Ogden Phipps (G1) back on Belmont Stakes day.

Given a layoff and cut back to 7/8 of a mile, Come Dancing improved her record to 7-2-0 in 12 career starts.

"She's an amazing mare," Martin said. "She's one of the top mares, I think, at this distance. When she's ready, she's elite."

Behind Come Dancing, Dawn The Destroyer, Special Relativity and Separationofpowers filled out the board with Mia Mischief finishing out the running order.