Dancing Rags Hopes to Make Maryland History in Black-Eyed Susan

Chadds Ford Stable’s Dancing Rags has trainer Graham Motion feeling optimistic about the Grade 1-winning filly’s chances in Friday’s $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2).

A member Union Rags’ lauded first crop, which also includes beaten Kentucky Oaks (GI) favorite Paradise Woods, the bay charge returns to the state in which she broke her maiden last fall when she takes on 10 others and breaks from Post 3 under topweight of 122 pounds in the nine-furlong 3-year-old filly main track event.

Last out, Dancing Rags returned from a five-month layoff to finish a perplexingly dull sixth of seven in the Adena Springs Beaumont (G2) at Keeneland, the same track over which she annexed the Alcibiades (G1) last October at third asking. In her 2-year-old finale, she was a lackluster eighth of 12 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) Nov. 5 at Santa Anita.

“I was disappointed with the Beaumont, of course, and I was hoping she would run well,” Motion said. “If she did that, we were going to hopefully go to the [Kentucky] Oaks with her. Obviously that didn’t materialize and it’s unfortunate. Looking at the PPs, you might say she lost a step and maybe the Breeders’ Cup was one race too many for her. She was flat and disappointing.

“Perhaps I blame myself for her Beaumont, as seven-eighths maybe wasn’t her thing and I thought I could get away with it first (race) back with her,” Motion continued. “If I would have had a couple more works, I would have run her in the [G1] Ashland. I hadn’t always had the Black-Eyed Susan in mind, but I don’t see why I shouldn’t run her. She’s a Grade 1 winner and a two-turn horse. The only thing I don’t like is the weight she has to carry, but she’s had a really great couple of weeks. It’s obviously a concern that she really hasn’t been about to duplicate her [win in the Alcibiades, GI, last fall], but my feeling is that she’s better than those last couple of races. I feel very good about running her.”

In the Black-Eyed Susan, Maryland’s premier 3-year-old filly event, Dancing Rags — the highest-earning horse in the race with $296,860 — stretches out to nine furlongs and two turns for the first time since her Breeders’ Cup effort. If victorious, she would become the first Maryland-bred winner of the Black-Eyed Susan since speedy Bud Delp trainee Calipha in 1994.

Motion also touched on another talented sophomore in his barn who may compete this weekend, No Mo Dough. Highly regarded by the conditioner, the Alex G. Campbell, Jr. homebred son of Uncle Mo is considered possible for the $100,000 LARC Sir Barton Stakes. If entered, it would mark a two-week turnaround off an impressive allowance score over well-intended Bret Calhoun trainee Awesome Saturday at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day, May 6. Such was his third career effort following a maiden win at Laurel in March and a fourth-place effort in a Keeneland allowance in April.

“We might run him,” Motion said. “I always thought he was my best 2-year-old early on last year and I had him close to a race and then he had some minor issues. I always thought he was very good and his run at Churchill wasn’t really a surprise. He’s not a really burly strapping horse and is a little lighter-framed, but he’s done very well since the race and I may bring him back, even though it’s a little quick. He’s been galloping a mile and a half since the race and looks great.”

Source: Maryland Jockey Club