Toronto, On – Bob Cheema’s Dancing Allstar returned to the winner’s circle in style, taking Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,800Whimsical Stakes at Woodbine by 1 ¾ lengths. The six-furlong Polytrack event was the ninth career triumph from 14 races for the Millennium Allstar filly, who now has two wins and two seconds in five Woodbine starts.
Trained by Terry Jordan, Dancing Allstar, Canada’s champion two-year-old filly in 2007, won her first race since a 1 ½ length triumph at Hastings Park on June 21. Prior to the Whimsical, the British Columbia-bred was third and seventh before finishing fifth, as the favourite, in the final start of her three-year-old campaign, on August 30.
After breaking sharply, Dancing Allstar gained a short lead down the backstretch under a confident Jim McAleney, taking the field through early splits of :23.22 and :45.60. Mutuel favourite Smart Surprise chased her home in the stretch, but was second best. Proud Heiress, in her Woodbine debut, rallied stoutly down
the lane to get third.
The final time was a sharp 1:09.16.
McAleney, who was aboard the chestnut in last year’s Duchess Stakes at the Toronto oval, was pleased to see Dancing Allstar regain her winning form. “I was really happy with this filly,” said McAleney, who recorded his first Whimsical win. “Terry always brings them over at 110 per cent. She ran back to her old races. She’s just a brilliant filly.”
Jordan concurred. “She was running well. When we sent her to Florida (for the Grade 3 Azalea, July 12) she got hung up in the airport in Chicago for about 12 hours. It really bothered her and hurt her a lot. After that she just said, ‘I don’t want to do this (any) more this year.’ We turned her
out and got her back again.”
McAleney noted Dancing Allstar looked as good as she performed. “She looks like she’s at least three or four inches taller and even wider,” he said. “She’s got a great constitution and now she’s got a body that matches it.”
Dancing Allstar paid $8.90, $3.40 and $3.60, combining with Smart Surprise ($2.40, $2.20) for a $24.30 exactor. Proud Heiress ($4.30) completed a $93.80 triactor. Verdana Bold was scratched.
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