Dance With Gable Heads Daytona

Dance With Gable, a perfect three-for-three in his career on Santa Anita's hillside turf course, steps up in class for the $100,000 Daytona Stakes (gr. IIIT) Jan. 1.

The Daytona, one of two grass stakes on the program along with $150,000 Robert J. Frankel (gr. IIT) for older fillies and mares, attracted a field of seven. The Daytona is race 8 at 4:07 p.m. PST.

Trained and partially owned by Michael Machowsky along with Arbitrage Stables and partners, Dance With Gable is coming off a front-running 1 1/4-length victory in the Wild Harmony Stakes on the Hollywood Park turf Nov. 28. The California-bred Dance Floor gelding turns 7 on Jan. 1. His prior wins over the about 6 1/2-furlong hillside course include a triumph over state breds in the California Sky Stakes in October 2009.

Dance With Gable, who figures to be winging from the rail for jockey Joe Talamo, has won 11 of 26 lifetime starts with 19 in-the-money performances while earning $357,135. Machowsky claimed Dance With Gable for $40,000 at Del Mar in August of 2009.