ESR Celebrates a Champion New York Bred Sprinter in the $100,000 ESR Dancin’ Renee Stakes

A field of Seven New York Bred Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Up will enter the Big Apple starting gate in the $100,000 ESR Dancin’ Renee Stakes.  The race will be run at One Mile over the Dirt Course.

Dancin’ Renee had a stellar career on the track earning 14 wins from 21 starts. In 1997 she claimed seven consecutive victories, including the GR3 Honorable Miss at Saratoga, the Broadway Handicap at Aqueduct, and the Monmouth Park Regret Stakes, which was her final start. Her earnings totaled $490,258.
She was crowned 1997’s New York Horse of the Year as well as Champion Sprinter and Champion Older Female by the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc.

History: New York Stallion Park Avenue Stakes, Berlo Handicap, and Broadway Handicap at Aqueduct, the Honorable Miss Stakes (G3) at Saratoga, the Regret Stakes at Monmouth, the Endine Stakes at Delaware Park and the Straight Deal Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Laurel Park.

CAPARCH – after going full bore in the G3 Lady Bourbon last time out in her bid for a spot in the Bluegrass Oaks, the 3-Year Old Bay Filly by Al Kahli returns to ESR competition where she has been a prevailing force for the pointblank stables finishing with a first, second and third place finish in three ESR Stake appearances, the last a victory against open-bred rivals in the ESR Stranger Things Stakes ; the challenge doesn’t get any easier for the talented New York-bred, as she takes on older rivals for the first time, but top connections know how to get the job done with a filly that is only beginning to scratch the surface…dangerous

MOST PECULIAR – ten times first or second in fifteen career starts, the 4-Year Old Bay Filly by Big Brown is the model of consistency and always shows up to race; the spinround New York-bred has been a Local sensation and makes her much anticipated debut at the Stakes level in the ESR feature; this filly has really blossomed as a 4yo and progressive speed figures in her last four starts suggest a filly ready to take it to the same level.. “Nobody Told Me there’d be days like these”

MISS ALFALFA – it’s been almost a year since this 5-Year Old Bay Mare by Alpha has visited the winner’s circle for the leading connections of the kingab racing stables, however she is making her second start off a four-month layoff after a determined second place finish LTO at the Allowance level while posting a 100-speed figure in the return; the winner of the ESR Frost Queen Stakes should be well-poised for a top effort here on Saturday and in good position to return to her winning ways…locked and loaded

FIFTH AVE CADET – the 6-Year Old Light Grey Mare by Bluegrass Cat is the winningest horse in the field (twelve) including five victories in five ESR Stakes appearances; the elder stateswoman in the field, the cadet trained NY-bred has little left to prove against her ESR rivals, and based on her current form, there is no reason to believe she won’t continue her dominance at this level…one to beat

AWESOME FREUD – the lightly raced 4-Year Old Bay Filly by Freud appears to have figured things out for the capecod racing stables finishing ITM in her last five starts while recording her first triple digit speed figures in her last three;  the improving NY-bred has earned her first stakes appearance, and while she still may yield to more experienced rivals she is racing in top form…never better

JAMAICANMEPARTY – the trotter1 trainee by Desert Party has been, if nothing else, a reliable paycheck finishing ITM in 22 of her 24 career starts; garnering most of her paydays as a sprinter, and with her better races behind her, the steadfast NY-bred has been has been keeping company in the claiming ranks and appears to be overmatched at the stakes level…happy with part

LIKE YOU USED TO – the 4-Year Old Light Grey Filly by Honorable Dillon has been impressive in winning 7 races in 13 career starts, but the aladar trained NY-bred has struggled against his ESR rivals at the stakes level; spending most of her time sprinting for her new connections, her last two set her up for a big effort here on Saturday; if you toss out her last two-turn start on the Turf start in the  ESR Prom Equivalency Stakes last May and look at her third place finish in the open-bred Seattle Dixie Dirt Filly Mile in her prior route, you can make a strong case for this one-time claimer to put up a good effort here on Saturday…might surprise

Handicapping the Field

FIFTH AVE CADET is a perfect five for five in ESR Stakes, now I’m not a math whiz, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t get better than 100%.  Top Billing in the ESR feature.

With all due respect, CAPARCH, is as good, if not better than any horse in this field, I just don’t bet 3yo’s against older horses this time of year, that is just my personal rule; but I surely wouldn’t blame anyone who bets her at 19-1, she is that good.

MISS ALFALFA is sitting on a big race in her second race back, the problem I have is her last start, even though it was a 4-month layoff, non-winners of 2 in a year was well within her grasp.  I won’t leave her off my ticket, but I will proceed with caution.

MOST PECULIAR never runs a bad race and is good enough to win every time she steps on the race track.  She makes her stakes debut and all to often I see horses struggle when they take a step up in class.

AWESOME FREUD and LIKE YOU USED TO are improving horses that just might surprise, but this is a big step up and a top three would be a huge accomplishment.

JAMAICANMEPARTY is in over her head but could find herself with a piece of the purse left unattended on the front end.

The Picks

FIFTH AVE CADET – only a fool would pick against a horse that’s been this dominant at this level

MISS ALFALFA – is better than her PP’s might indicate

MOST PECULIAR – consistent sort, should be around for a part

Longshot

CAPARCH  – big overlay