Come Dancing likely to train up to Breeders' Cup

Trainer Carlos Martin reported that multiple graded stakes winner Come Dancing will likely not have another start prior to the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 7 at Keeneland Race Course, which is scheduled to be the final start of her career.

The daughter of Malibu Moon added a fifth graded stakes triumph to her resume with a victory in the Honorable Miss (G2) on Sept. 6 at Saratoga Race Course, where she earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure in her first triumph in five starts this season. Last year, she shipped to Santa Anita for the  Filly and Mare Sprint, where she finished sixth.

"It was a great way to end the Saratoga meet, and she came out of it great," Martin said. "She kept good weight since the win, and she seems to be thriving. I'm very excited about the Breeders' Cup. It will be her last race, so hopefully we have her ride off into the sunset a winner."

Owned by Marc Holliday's Blue Devil Racing Stable, Come Dancing won last year's Distaff (G3) at Aqueduct and Ruffian (G2) at Belmont Park before taking the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga. A Kentucky homebred, Come Dancing is out of the graded stakes winning Tiznow mare Tizahit.

Martin did not completely rule out providing Come Dancing a chance to defend her title in the $150,000 Gallant Bloom (G2), a 6 ½-furlong sprint on Oct. 3 at Belmont, but he said the mare will more than likely train up to the Breeders' Cup and ship to Keeneland a few weeks in advance to get acclimated to the new surroundings.

"We're discussing that," Martin said. "The Gallant Bloom is an option just like last year, but she runs well fresh. After speaking to Marc, we're inclined to go fresh into the Breeders' Cup. We'll get her down there early and get a few works over the track into her. This is going to be it, so we'll take our last shot. We tried going last minute to California and that's a whole different trip. I don't see any downside to going down a few weeks early."

Martin also enjoyed an allowance victory from stakes-winner Piedi Bianchi against fellow Indiana-breds at Indiana Grand Race Course on Tuesday.

"There an Indiana-bred race coming up in October, but she ran a big number so there might be an opportunity in New York. We'll play it by ear," Martin said.