By Joe Bianca
One is returning to the scene of her greatest triumph, while one is returning to where she suffered her most heartbreaking defeat, but Rainha Da Bateria (Broken Vow) and Suffused (GB) (Champs Ulysses {GB}) will knock heads as the clear favorites in the 1 1/4-mile GII Dance Smartly S. at Woodbine Sunday.
Lael Stables' Rainha Da Bateria is more accustomed to hitting the board in graded stakes than winning them, but she followed up a close third at 28-1 in the GI Diana S. with a breakthrough victory in the GII Canadian S. here Sept. 17. Last seen running a troubled-trip fourth in the yielding-turf GIII Beauty S. May 13 at Belmont, the chestnut shows a steady regimen of five half-mile breezes in the interim as she stretches beyond nine furlongs for just the second time.
Her other time traversing the trip was when she finished fifth in the GI E.P. Taylor S. in Etobicoke Oct. 16. Juddmonte's Suffused came tantalizingly close to a breakthrough victory that day, running second by a nose in Woodbine's fall turf distaffer staple, her first Grade I try. The homebred bounced back to capture the GIII La Prevoyante H. and GIII Very One S. in her next two starts before finishing second in the GII Sheepshead Bay S. and a disappointing fifth as the chalk in the GII New York S. last out June 9 at Belmont.
The biggest threat to the top pair is Soli Mehta and Partner's Starship Jubilee (Indy Wind). Claimed for just $16,000 by owner/trainer Tino Attard out of a second-place run at Gulfstream Feb. 12, the bay reeled off three straight convincing victories for her new connections before transferring to this ownership and the Kevin Attard barn. In her first local start, Starship Jubilee overcame a stumbling start and rallied from last to upset the GII Nassau S. May 27. The Dance Smartly will be her first attempt beyond a mile.
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