Dansetta Light wins Tropical Park Oaks

Dansetta Light posted her second straight turf stakes win in the Tropical Park Oaks (Skip Smith) J D Farms’ homebred DANSETTA LIGHT (Colony Light) dueled on the lead throughout the stretch and held gamely for a neck decision in Saturday’s $100,000 Tropical Park Oaks, one of four stakes events on Calder’s Grand Slam III program. The newly turned sophomore lass recorded her fourth stakes victory and improved her overall mark to 10-5-1-0 with $225,080 in earnings. John Velazquez had the mount on the David Brownlee-trained dark bay. The winner tracked early fractions of :22 2/5 and :47 2/5 from her inside post and reached even terms with pacesetter Silver Stage (Halo’s Image) leaving the far turn. She dueled with that rival down the lane and then withstood the late rally of runner-up Dynamite Lass (Dynaformer). Silver Stage checked in another neck back in third. Sent off the 2-1 second choice in the 11-horse field, Dansetta Light returned $6.60, $3 and $2.60 to her backers after finishing 1 1/16 miles over the good turf in 1:42. Rich in Spirit (Repriced), the 8-5 favorite, missed third by a nose to complete the blanket finish and was followed under the wire by Gemilli (Lemon Drop Kid), Mortgage the House (Chester House), Miami Princess (Parade Ground), Southern Serenity (Sweetsouthernsaint), Stavinsky’s Gal (Stravinsky), Leona’s Knight (Suave Prospect) and Goldiscold (Eskimo). Brazilian (Stravinsky), Royal Bean (Royal Academy), Gentle Breeze (Cozzene) and Dynamist (Dynaformer) were all scratched. Bred in the Sunshine State, Dansetta Light captured both the Brave Raj S. and Lindsay Frolic S. over the Calder main track last year and then finished second in the John Franks Juvenile Fillies Turf S. when making her grass bow. She then won the grassy Georgia Debutante S. prior to Saturday’s New Year’s Day score. Dansetta Light is out of the winning At the Threshold mare Dolly’s Back, who is also the dam of Grade 2 winner Captain Squire (Flying Chevron) and five-time stakes heroine Dakota Light, who is a full sister to Dansetta Light. The 15-year-old mare has an unnamed juvenile son by Colony Light and an unnamed 2004 colt by Cherokee Run.

The $100,000
Stage Door Betty H. went to Edmund Gann’s PERSONAL LEGEND
(Awesome Again), who closed in deep stretch to win by three parts of a length.
Trained by Bobby Frankel and ridden by Jerry Bailey, the five-year-old mare
recorded her second straight stakes victory after taking the Turnback the Alarm
H. (G3) and was sent off the prohibitive 6-5 favorite in the field of seven. She
traveled 8 1/2 furlongs over the fast track in 1:45.

Pampered Princess (Indian Charlie), who gained a slim advantage in the
stretch but could not withstand the winner, took second, 1 1/4 lengths better
than Shady Woman (Northern Afleet). The remaining order of finish was completed
by Redoubled Miss (Adhocracy), Auntie Inda Attic (Suave Prospect), From Away
(Gulch) and Passing Shot (A.P. Indy).

Out of the stakes-placed Highland Legend (Storm Bird), Personal Legend was
bred in Kentucky by G. Watts Jr. and Louise Humphrey and now owns an overall mark of
18-6-5-2 with a $467,340 bankroll. The Grade 1-placed mare had raced primarily
on the grass after being privately purchased following her third career start.

“For a time I thought she was better on turf than dirt, but now she’s won two
of three (on dirt) for me and finished second in the El Encino (S. [G2]) the
other time,” Frankel said. “She’ll run at Gulfstream, probably on the dirt.”

The other non-graded stakes event on the Grand Slam III program, the $50,000
Happy New Year S., was taken in wire-to-wire fashion by Michael Sherman’s LADY
IN PINK (Double Honor), who sprinted to a clear early advantage in the
five-furlong turf test and was never threatened. Winning by 2 1/2 lengths with
jockey Manoel Cruz, the Angel Salinas-trained three-year-old filly earned her
first stakes score here, stopping the teletimer in :56 2/5 at 9-1.

Running Bobcats (Running Stag) closed for second, a half-length better than
third-placer Glittering Tax (Artax). Next came My Kip (Kelly Kip), Madison
Dollie (Forest Wildcat), Lookstoogood (Tiger Ridge), Cadet Nurse (Double Honor),
Elke (Dixie Union) and Tokyo Tour (Tour d’Or).

The Florida-bred Lady in Pink is the second foal of Pink Pirate (Pirate’s
Bounty) and now owns a 8-4-2-1 record with $99,010 in earnings.