Overheard Gets Nose in Front to Win Dance Smartly
Pin Oak Stable’s homebred Overheard, with Eurico Rosa da Silva, put on a furious stretch charge to nip stablemate Deceptive Vision on the line and take the $210,400 Dance Smartly Stakes, on Queen’s Plate Day, Sunday at Woodbine.
Six-wide turning for home, Overheard rallied in the last eighth of a mile over a firm E.P. Taylor Turf Course to take the Grade 2 event for fillies and mares by a nostril, getting the ‘about one mile and one eighth’ distance in a blistering 1:44.25.
Both the winner and runner-up, a Sam-Son Farm homebred, were trained by Malcolm Pierce. Savvy Hester finished third, just another nose back in a thrilling finish.
Deceptive Vision and jockey Patrick Husbands, who went postward a slight 2-1 choice over Overheard, set fractions of :24.05 and :47.48 while being dogged by Savvy Hester. Turning for home, a host of pursuers took after the leader and in fact, Savvy Hester appeared to inch in front in mid-stretch.
But Deceptive Vision fought back and regained the lead before being edged on the wire by Overheard on the far outside.
It was only the second start of the year for Overheard, a four-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Macho Uno-Whisper to Me, who had opened her season with a head loss to Tannery, last year’s winner of the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine, in a stake at Monmouth Park on May 26.
“I was really confident I won the race,” said Rosa da Silva, who fist-pumped after crossing the wire despite the need for a three-horse photo. “I was so happy because I had such a bad trip the last time with this filly. I got stuck. The half went in 51 seconds. She could have won that race (if the pace had been quicker).”
Added Josephine Abercrombie, owner of Pin Oak, “She is special. We’ve adored her since the beginning. She’s run beautifully since Malcolm’s had her. We’re happy.”
“Both fillies ran hard and both deserved to win,” said Pierce. “Unfortunately, one has to be a loser but it’s nice to get the exactor.”
Overheard earned $120,000 for the victory, her fifth (and third stakes win, along with last year’s Alywow at Woodbine and Valley View at Keeneland) in only 12 lifetime outings, to push her bankroll to almost $460,000.
As the 5-2 second choice, Overhead returned $7.20, $3.40 and $2.90, combining with Deceptive Vision ($3.20, $2.70) for a $21.30 (2-4) exactor. A 2-4-5 (Savvy Hester, $5.50) triactor paid $229 while a $1 Superfecta [2-4-5-6 (English Class)] was worth $516.05.