Dance Smartly Stakes – Never Retreat enjoyed an instant revenge over Bay to Bay at Woodbine
The six-year-old brown mare, Never Retreat, couldn’t set aside her rival, Bay to Bay, even declared as a favourite at Woodbine on 4 June, 2011 in the Grade 2 Nassau Stakes, took her revenge in the $313,395 Canadian Grade 2 Dance Smartly Stakes also at Woodbine
on 10 July, 2011.
Owned by Team Block and trained by Chris Block, Never Retreat with jockey Shaun Bridgmohan took on a field of 10 which also included the Nassau Stakes champion four-year-old filly, Bay to Bay.
On a firm track with a mile and a furlong to achieve, Never Retreat got challenged left right and centre to keep Mekong Melody, the defending champion of Dance Smartly Stakes, at bay along Bay to Bay to register a 1 ¼ length victory.
She blazed past her rivals with Shaun Bridgmohan against 10 other older fillies and mares to conquer the single-turn grassy filed in a time of 1 minute and 46.48 seconds.
This was Never Retreat’s second outing of the season at Woodbine, the first one was a two length defeat by Bay to Bay, but turned the tables on her rival this time around.
Overall this was the Kentucky-bred daughter of Smart Strike’s third graded race win of the season.
Never Retreat’s first win of the season came at Gulfstream Park on 5 March 2011, where she was against 11 older fillies and mares in the Grade 3 Honey Fox Stakes.
With a mile to run under jockey J R Leparoux, the six-year-old made an impressive run down the rail and contested her rival, Dale Romans, persuading till the final furlong and left her behind, beating her by a good length.
Next stop for Never Retreat was Keeneland, where she took on 10 fillies and mares over a distance of a mile and ½ a furlong in the Grade 2 Jenny Wiley Stakes on 16 April, 2011.
Ridden by Shan Bridgmohan, Never Retreat had to contend with the 8 to 5 favourite Fantasia.
The six-year-old brown mare always looked in control during the race and gave her all in the mid-stretch to defeat Fantasia by 1 ¾ length.
In the Dance Smartly Stakes, Never Retreat showed that she is a class act, who never retreats at any point.
The ultimate duel of the race was between the defending champion Mekong Melody and Never Retreat, with Bay to Bay was forced back by the leaders in the mid-pack between horses.
Bay to Bay under L Contreras emerged on the outside and challenged Never Retreat, the urging came from Shaun Bridgmohan and the mare responded to scoot away from both horses and win under a hand ride.
Never Retreat carried 126 pounds and extended her earnings to $867,255. Nine wins out of 28 races is not shabby at all.
Tags: