Dance to Bristol seeks eighth straight win in Gallant Bloom

Dance to Bristol just eked out victory in the Ballerina last out (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography)

One of the country’s leading female sprinters, Dance to Bristol puts her
seven-race win streak on the line in Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000
Gallant
Bloom Handicap at Belmont Park. The four-year-old filly will square off
against eight challengers at 6 1/2 furlongs in her final prep for the Breeders’
Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

After recording wins at Laurel Park, Charles Town and Pimlico early in her
streak, Dance to Bristol stepped up to post three consecutive graded tallies at
New York tracks. She easily captured the Grade 3 Bed o’ Roses at Belmont in
mid-June before notching a pair of narrow scores at Saratoga, taking the Grade 2
Honorable Miss by a neck on July 29 and the Grade 1 Ballerina by a head on
August 23.

As a result of her success, the Ollie Figgins III-trained daughter of
Speightstown will be spotting four-to-eight pounds as the 121-pound highweight.
Dance to Bristol breaks from the far outside post position with regular rider
Xavier Perez.

Cluster of Stars will put her perfect mark on the line in the Gallant Bloom (Courtney Heeney/Adam Coglianese Photograpny)

Cluster of Stars is unbeaten from five career starts and makes her first
appearance since mid-April. Her first four wins came on the Aqueduct inner
track, but the Steve Asmussen trainee had little difficulty switching to the
main oval in the Grade 2 Distaff Handicap, scoring by 2 3/4 lengths. Javier
Castellano retakes the mount aboard the four-year-old Greeley’s Galaxy filly.

Holiday Soiree will enter on the upswing, registering her first stakes win
when drawing off to a 3 3/4-length decision in the August 5 Shine Again at
Saratoga. The four-year-old was transferred to Todd Pletcher prior to her last
start and received a career-best 103 BRIS Speed rating. She’ll keep John
Velazquez in the irons.

Adding further depth to the field are Ballerina third-placer Villanesca and
Honorable Miss runner-up Classic Point. Crespano, Defy Gravity and Munnings
Sister round out the line-up.