“When she ran, it was like she looked right at the fans. ‘Are you watching me? Ones like me don’t come along all that often.’
Dance Smartly’s three-year-old campaign was one that owners, breeders and trainers can only dream of. She started her year off with a win in the Star Shoot Stakes and wrapped it up by becoming the first Canadian-bred to win a Breeders’ Cup race with her gutsy win in the Grade 1 Distaff. “Undefeated this year and the undisputed Queen of racing on this continent!” announcer Tom Durkin told the world, as she galloped out after her win at Churchill Downs.
For Sam-Son Farm, it was a win that proved they had built their breeding program right; getting the best mares possible and breeding them to the best stallions. For me, Dance Smartly’s sophomore season was one I would never forget.
Every time Dance Smartly ran, I watched on television. I just loved how she did things so effortlessly and with such class. Dirt or turf, it didn’t matter. After her four-length win in the Canadian Oaks, she would go on to face the boys in her next four races. Three of those events came in the Canadian Triple Crown where she was never seriously threatened. In the Molson Export Million, she would again beat the boys, but this time versus open company. As always, jockey Pat Day was a quiet passenger aboard the daughter of Danzig, who would roll to a two-length win.
I didn’t own Dance Smartly, and I had only a small win or exactor ticket on her during her races. But with her, it wasn’t about the betting. I was just a fan of the horse. When she won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, I remember feeling extremely proud and patriotic. A Canadian just like me had become the best distaffer in the world.
After her 8-for-8 run as a three-year-old, the Ontario Jockey Club sold a VHS video that had all her races on it. I still have it (even though I don’t have a VHS player anymore) and I watched it so many times that I had all the announcers’ calls down pat.
Dance Smartly not only turned out to be a great racehorse, but an amazing broodmare. She produced two Queen’s Plate winners in Scatter The Gold and filly Dancethruthedawn. Dance With Ravens was another multiple stakes winner produced by the Queen Of Canadian Racing.
Dance Smartly did everything with such style and grace and drew me into the sport of horse racing to a level I didn’t know was possible, and because of that she is “The Horse That Changed My Life.”
By Jeff Bratt, for Ontario Racing
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