Twenty years ago, she was the dominant female Thoroughbred racer in North America and until 2002, the region's only filly to win an offically male dominated Triple Crown. She became the first from her country to win a Breeders' Cup race, and retired as the world's all-time leading female money earner. She beat the girls and she beat the boys, on the dirt and on the turf. She was all class, versatility, and heart. She was not only Canada's best but the best anywhere, and befitting her name, danced all the dances with authority. How could anyone not love or admire Dance Smartly?
Family Strength
The dark bay/brown filly Dance Smartly (Can.), nicknamed “Daisy,” was owned and bred by Ernie Samuel's Sam-Son Farm. Foaled in 1988 in Ontario, she was by the great sire of sires Danzig, and a granddaughter of 1964 Canadian Horse of the Year, American champion, and incomparable stallion of the latter half of the twentieth century, Northern Dancer (Can.), the first horse to win the Kentucky Derby in 2:00 flat. Dance Smartly's dam was the Smarten mare Classy 'n Smart (Can.), who won the Canadian Oaks and several other key races, in route to a Sovereign Award as Canada's three-year-old female champion in 1984. Dance Smartly was also a half sister to Smart Strike (Can.), who would go on to sire Eclipse champions English Channel, Lookin at Lucky, and two-time Horse of the Year Curlin. Dance Smartly's second dam was the blue-hen mare No Class (Can). Her third dam, Classy Quillo was out of Quillopoly, the latter sired by leading American/European stallion Princequillo (Ire.), who fathered Round Table, 1958 Horse of the Year/multiple champion, and arguably the greatest of all U.S. grass runners. Princequillo also sired Somethingroyal, dam of the immortal Secretariat.
Emergence
Dance Smartly was conditioned by James E. Day, and as a two-year-old, ridden in all but her first start by Sandy Hawley. Her career was off beautifully with two 5 ½ furlong victories at Woodbine. On July 7, 1990, she broke her maiden by more than three lengths, then returned in an allowance on August 1 with a four and three-quarter length win against seven others. Two weeks later, at Fort Erie, Dance Smartly ran into her first roadblock named Regal Pennant, who defeated her by two and a half lengths in the Ontario Debutante Stakes; however, it was more than seven lengths back to the third filly. Dance Smartly returned to Woodbine on September 15, and in her first attempt on the grass, scored by a half length in a division of the Natalma Stakes, on a yielding course.
Stateside
Dance Smartly made her first start in the United States during the tragic seventh Breeders' Cup on October 27, at Belmont Park that saw three horses, among them the great Go for Wand, die, and a fourth horse suffer a non-fatal fracture. The Juvenile Fillies, with a field of thirteen, was Dance Smartly's first start over a mile and breaking from post seven, she contested the pace with fellow Canadian and stablemate Wilderness Song, before succumbing to the brilliant, undefeated and eventual Eclipse two-year-old champion Meadow Star, who ran away with the 1 1/16 mile race by six lengths. Dance Smartly didn't go home empty however, finishing third.
Dance Smartly had won three of her five starts on the year, with a second and a third, and was given a Sovereign Award as Canada's top two-year-old filly. She would now get a nice break, return in May of the following year, and blossom into an extraordinary presence.
Journey to Glory
During her incredible campaign of 1991, the three-year-old daughter of Danzig would make all her starts in graded stakes company, the first three at Woodbine. Dance Smartly proceeded to annex the six furlong Star Shoot on May 4, 1991 by two and a half lengths, in a time of 1:10 3/5. One month later, she won the 1 1/16 mile Selene by more than three lengths.
Although jockey Brian Swatuk had ridden Dance Smartly in her last two victories, beginning on June 16, in the 1 1/8 mile Canadian Oaks, Dance Smartly would have Pat Day in the irons. He would stay aboard for the duration of her career. The filly also seemed stronger as the distances grew longer. She easily won the Oaks by four and a half lengths.
Dance Smartly now had bigger fish to fry.
“Gallop for the Guineas”
On July 7, 1991, the oldest major continuously run race in North America, the 132nd Queen's Plate, known as the “Gallop for the Guineas,” was held at Woodbine. It would be a banner day for Sam-Son. Dance Smartly and her stablemate Wilderness Song were taking on the boys in the 1 ¼ mile run. This was Canada's greatest horse race, their equivalent to America's Kentucky Derby and first leg of the country's Triple Crown of Thoroughbred racing. Wilderness Song set a hot pace, and going into the first turn, Bolulight was close on her outside, with Shudanz next, followed by Dance Smartly. Traveling down the backstretch, Wilderness Song and Bolulight maintained their positions and Dance Smartly had creeped up to third in tight quarters next to Shudanz. The six furlongs were travelled in 1:11 4/5 and a mile in 1:37 1/5. After coming out of the far turn, straightening for home, Wilderness Song still hung on to a slight advantage but Day now steered Dance Smartly in the clear where she was able to engage her stablemate, pass her, and easily run off by eight lengths, crossing the finish in 2:03 2/5. Wilderness Song was next, followed by Shudanz. Another stablemate, the colt Rainbows for Life, finished fourth.
Dance Smartly was just warming up.
Doubling Down
The second leg was the 56th running of the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie Racetrack, on July 28. Dance Smartly, breaking from post five, faced five other rivals, among them Wilderness Song and Shudanz. When they were sent away for the 1 3/16 mile affair, Dance Smartly dropped back, while Wilderness Song set a fast pace with Shudanz in closest pursuit by the rail. At the clubhouse turn, Shudanz was next to the leader with Dance Smartly in third, and the complexion remained unchanged into the backstretch with Dance Smartly following a few lengths back but within striking distance. Wilderness Song, always pressured by Shudanz, had never been able to relax. Turning into the stretch, Dance Smartly confronted the leaders on the outside, took charge about a furlong out, and at the wire was two lengths in front, as Professor Rabbit closed for second, followed by Shudanz. Wilderness Song eventually faded to fifth, behind Rainbows for Life, who again finished fourth. The game filly had done all the dirty work, setting fractions of :45 4/5, 1:10, and 1:36 3/5, with Dance Smartly finishing the job in 1:56 3/5.
The Queen's Plate/Prince of Wales winner would now return to Woodbine on August 18, and run on the Marshall Turf course in an attempt to do what no other female in North America had ever done.
The Triple
The three Canadian races, that make up the country's Triple Crown, are identical in distance to America's Triple Crown, but run during the summer months and restricted to Canadian-breds. These contests are dissimiliar to the American classics in another remarkable respect: two of the three races are on the dirt, with the last leg on the grass (Note: with the relatively recent arrival of synthetic surfaces, the Queen's Plate is currently run on Polytrack).
In 1932, a chestnut filly named Queensway won the King's Plate, the Breeders' Stakes and Prince of Wales Plate. It wasn't until 1959 however that the three races officially became Canada's Triple Crown. Before 1991, only four horses had swept the series: New Providence (1959), Canebora (1963), With Approval (1989) and Izvestia (1990). In 1991, one tough lady decided to shatter the glass ceiling.
Greatness
The 1 ½ mile Breeders' Stakes completed the Triple. The race's 101st edition on August 18, would have Dance Smartly face nine runners in her quest for immortality. Breaking from post six, on the yielding grass course, she and the others were sent away in good order. Speak No Evil set the pace with Shudanz tracking. Dance Smartly was about four lengths back in third. As they crossed the main track and onto the inner turf course, Speak No Evil went very wide but held the lead with Shudanz next along the hedge, and Dance Smartly maintaining her position about three lengths back in third, with a considerable gap to the fourth horse Rainbow Gold. After a half in :47, Shudanz took a slight lead over Speak No Evil with Dance Smartly still bidding her time, keeping well off the pace. Entering the backstretch, Shudanz had widened his lead. Shiny Key, who had been well back, was now starting his late run, as Dance Smartly engaged the leader. Dance Smartly was now on Shudanz's outside and as they turned for home, she passed him, then widened the gap between herself and the others in the stretch. Shudanz' claim on second would be fleeting. A furlong out, January Man was also rallying but Dance Smartly continued to separate herself, hitting the wire eight lengths in front with Shiny Key crossing next, a head in front of January Man.
Dance Smartly had won Canada's Triple Crown. In later years, two more horses accomplished this feat, but both were colts, Peteski in 1993 and Wando in 2003. With her greatest achievement now securely tucked away in the history books, what could Dance Smartly possibly do for an encore?
Supremacy
Dance Smartly was far from finished. One month later, she stepped into the gate for Woodbine's Molson Million on September 15 against nine horses, among them Fly So Free, the previous year's Eclipse champion two-year-old male. Shudanz was also back for more punishment and Dance Smartly was happy to oblige him. After a duel with the game colt, she disposed of him by two lengths with Majesterian six lengths behind in third.
Dance Smartly had now defeated the boys four consecutive times and had even been considered for the 1 ¼ mile Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on November 2. She would instead opt for the Breeders' Cup Distaff at 1 1/8 miles. In her second U.S. appearance, she would make certain the outcome was different.
Queen of the Continent
Thirteen fillies and mares lined up for the eighth running of the Distaff and Dance Smartly would leave from post ten. After the start, Wilderness Song got the jump but longshot Richard's Lass quickly assumed control. Meanwhile, Day kept Dance Smartly tucked away in fourth. Going into the clubhouse turn, the grey/roan Brought to Mind was close to the leader on her outside. Rounding the turn into the backstretch Dance Smartly was in the middle of the group with a half in :47 1/5. The situation began to shift approaching the far turn as Brought to Mind moved up on Richard's Lass with Fit for a Queen stalking. Coming out of the turn into the stretch run, Dance Smartly, out on the track, pressed the leaders and passed them, while Versailles Treaty closed strongly. At the wire it was Dance Smartly ahead by one and a half lengths with Versailles Treaty finishing a game second, and Brought to Mind third.
Perfection
Dance Smartly won all eight races in 1991, half of these against her male counterparts. She had affirmed her dominance and supremancy in Canada's most prestigious events and on North America's biggest stage. For her accomplishments she was named Sovereign Horse of the Year in Canada, its top three-year-old female, and Eclipse three-year-old female champion in the United States. There was no other lady in Dance Smartly's class.
Beyond the Applause
In 1992, the Queen of racing would race four times, all on the turf, the first two at Woodbine against males, followed by a pair at Arlington Park. She made her four-year-old debut on June 14, and lost by a nose to the gelding Thunder Regent in the 1 1/8 mile King Edward Gold Cup after conceding six pounds to the winner. In mid-July Dance Smartly rebounded with a half length win in the 1 ¼ mile Canadian Maturity, over a soft course.
On August 15, Dance Smartly contested the 1 1/16 mile Arlington Budweiser Breeders Cup Handicap. After running more aggressively and closer to the leaders, she finished third. On September 5, in the the Beverly D at 1 3/16 miles, she was close to the action early, finally settled down after about four furlongs, but fell short of a winning bid, notching a credible third, a neck behind runner-up Ruby Tiger and less than two lengths back of winner Kostroma.
Dance Smartly had given a stunning three-year performance. In 17 starts, she was never out of the money, recording 12 wins, 2 seconds, 3 thirds, and earnings of $3,263,836. At the time, she was the richest female ever; however, the great filly had not been immune to a few physical issues, and her epic runs on the track were now at an end. A promising career as a broodmare lie ahead.
Offspring and a Final Tribute
Dance Smartly was awarded another Sovereign in 2001 as outstanding broodmare. Her colt Scatter the Gold and filly Dancethruthedawn, both by Mr. Prospector, followed their dam's example by winning the Queen's Plate in successive years, with the former also victorious in the Prince of Wales Stakes.
Dance Smartly remained the only female in North America to win a Triple Crown until Mediavilla R., a granddaugher of Danzig, became the first of her sex and the last runner to capture Puerto Rico's Triple Crown in 2002.
Dance Smartly was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1995 and the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York, in 2003. A race named in her honor, the Dance Smartly Stakes (Can.-IIT) is run in July. In 2007 the industry lost one of its finest equine ladies when Dance Smartly died after a paddock accident at the age of nineteen. Her legacy and the excellence she brought to the sport are permanent signatures on the hearts of racing enthusiasts throughout North America and particularly in Canada. An enduring affection continues to cast its light on one of this continent's great fillies.
Copyright 2011, 2012 by John Califano
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