By Christie DeBernardis
Grade I winner Pretty City Dancer (Tapit) looks to improve off a runner-up effort last time in the Feb. 4 GII Forward Gal S. as she navigates eight furlongs for the first time in Saturday's GII Fasig-Tipton Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream. Following her second-out graduation with a win in Churchill's Debutante S. July 2, the John Oxley colorbearer was a dead-heat winner of Saratoga's GI Spinaway S. Sept. 3 and was subsequently shelved. The Forward Gal, where she was second by just a half-length, was her first start since that victory and she adds blinkers this time around.
“Her big issue is that she has a tendency to hang and lay on horses and not finish the races as strongly as she is capable of,” Norm Casse, assistant trainer to father Mark Casse said. “We're putting on blinkers for the first time in a race. She's worked two times with those since the Forward Gal and has worked really well and responded well. We're hoping she shows a little more speed out of the gate.”
Pretty City Dancer will face some stiff competition in the form of the speedy MGSW Miss Sky Warrior (First Samurai). Romping by seven lengths in her second start at Parx Oct. 15, the Kelly Breen pupil followed suit with victories in Aqueduct's GIII Tempted S. Nov. 5 and nine-furlong GII Demoiselle S. Nov. 26.
“She is doing great. We're just trying to keep her fit,” Breen said. “She was fit and had been running well and, hopefully, after a little bit of time in between races, she comes back as a 3-year-old ready to run. She's just an impressive horse. All her races are good. We're trying to get her to stretch out and we're hoping she can do as well as she has done so far at doing that.”
Juddmonte's Tempted runner-up Eloquent Riddle (Harlan's Holiday) takes another shot at Miss Sky Warrior while receiving Lasix for the first time here. The Chad Brown trainee enters off a runner-up effort in the Furlough S. Nov. 24 behind Yorkiepoo Princess (Kantharos), who has won two more stakes at Aqueduct since.
“TDN Rising Star” Aspen Hilltop (Bernardini) makes her long-awaited return to the races in this test for trainer Gary Contessa. The Lee Pokoik runner came charging late to go from last to first with a seven-wide move in her Saratoga unveiling Aug. 14 and exited that test with a fractured splint bone.
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