Dancing Master Favored in Saturday Feature

Dancing Master Favored in Saturday Feature

Indiana – Five 2 YO’s will take a run at the Exclusive Gulch Stakes here on Saturday afternoon.  The mile and a sixteenth, $80,000 race over the turf course will be the longest distance any of these juveniles have attempted.  The race was named after a hard knocking old horse that never won a stakes race but did win nine races from 54 starts.  By Thunder Gulch, Exclusive Gulch has one foal to race – a winner.  I caught up with most of the entrants taking their last exercise before the race on Thursday morning. 

Noah Armstrong will take the reins of the favorite Dancing Master (8/5).  Owned and trained by Yunkai, this pretty bay colt by Pientre Celebre has only a maiden win but was a closing second in the Get N High Stakes in his very next attempt.  He looked very solid as he took an easy two mile gallop on a long rein.

Highest Raider (2/1) was about as one-sided as the whole crew over at DelPen.  The big hammer-headed dark bay colt was supposed to gallop an easy mile but kept wheeling to the right, much to the exercise girl’s chagrin.  She finally got him straightened out and he finished up well.  A son of Alnaab is owned and trained by Chipendale and is one of the most seasoned colts in the race.  He has never been out of the money and has two wins from six starts.  He has some gas and improving speed numbers but distance will be a question.

The light bay son of Rainbow Quest, Indefensible (5/2) went by me in a long gallop and was hitting the ground well.  Leggo is the trainer of this white faced colt and he is one that has just been waiting for the distances to get longer.  He looked awfully good in his workout and may well be the one to beat.

Slairk sends out the undefeated colt Atavism (9/2).  He won his only start at 5 1/2 furlongs and will be making a big step up on Saturday but the royally bred dark brown colt by Kingmambo had a lovely ground covering trot as he jogged by going the wrong way of the track for just a light exercise.

Tempermental (7/1) is the long shot of the group but not without a chance.  The almost black colt by Danzig Connection has two wins from four starts and his speed figures are improving.  A groom for owner/trainer Applefarms, had the colt out grazing and believe, me this colt looks like a racehorse.