REMEMBERING DAISY

DEATH OF A CHAMPION

Dance Smartly ('Daisy') one of Canada’s all time greats

Dance Smartly, Horse of the Year, champion in two countries and member of the National Hall of Fame in Saratoga, was euthanized on the weekend at her home at Sam-Son Farms.

The 19-year-old mare suffered an “irreparable injury related to her arthritic stifle” according to a press release last night issue by Sam-Son.

She has been buried at the Milton Farm.

“She was a once-in-a-lifetime horse,” said Tammy Balaz, who owns and operates Sam-Son with her mother Elisabeth, widow of the late Ernie Samuel. “She was magic and gave us incredible thrills both as a racehorse and a broodmare.”

Dance Smartly has a 3yo colt Dancethruthestorm and a 2yo by Gone West named Danceinthesunshine, her last foal.

THE STORY OF DANCE SMARTLY

For Tammy Samuel Balaz, the memories of those magical days of Dance Smartly are vivid, as if they happened yesterday and not 12 years ago.

For Canadian racing fans old enough to remember, the video clip of the Samuel family going berserk as Dance Smartly charged to the wire in the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs, is hard to forget.

Dance Smartly not only became the first Canadian-bred to win a Breeders' Cup race but the victory, her eighth in a spectacular undefeated 3-year-old campaign, made her the world's all-time leading money winning mare and brought needed recognition to the Canadian breeding industry.

Bred and raced by the late Ernie Samuel's Sam-Son Farms, Dance Smartly earned an Eclipse Award for 1991's best sophomore filly and helped Samuel collect the Eclipse for top owner. The filly also cleaned up at her home country's Sovereign Awards when named Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old filly.

"I don't think about her without believing that she one of those magical, lightning strike things," said Balaz, who, along with her mother Elizabeth, has continued on with the Sam-Son dynasty.

"I still remember her coming around the turn (at Churchill) and when we realized that she was opening up, it really was incredible," said Balaz. "You felt you were just flying, I mean, for her to be the first Canadian-bred to win a Breeders' Cup race, she just showed them that everything she did up to that point was legit."

The story of Dance Smartly epitomizes the powerful breeding empire developed by Samuel more than three decades ago.

It was then when Samuel, an active member of the show-horse circuit and owner of the gigantic Samuel & Son metal works company, jumped into the thoroughbred business - first dabbling with modestly bred claiming horses and then yearling purchases.

In 1975 two of his initial yearling purchases, fillies by Nodouble and Quadrangle, proved to be the cornerstones of the Sam-Son breeding operation.

Samuel liked to joke that No Class, the Nodouble filly that cost him $18,000, was the last horse he named himself before turning those duties over to Elizabeth.

No Class was a decent allowance runner who became one of the first Sam-Son broodmares. Her second foal, Classy 'n Smart, won the '84 Canadian Oaks and was the first of four champion offspring.

Classy 'n Smart, by Smarten, went to the breeding shed following her 3-year-old campaign and was presented with only the most fashionable mates. After producing a Secretariat colt, she foaled a leggy Danzig filly in '88 with an unusual head marking, earning the soon-tobe-named Dance Smartly the nickname 'Daisy'.

Jim Day, Sam-Son's private trainer at the time, said Dance Smartly only stood out as a foal because of her breeding.

"Of course, we had high expectations for her because of her family connections," said Day. "She was tall and leggy and a nice foal."

Dance Smartly trained in groups with numerous other blue-blooded young horses, progressed steadily in her training but didn't catch anyone's eye.

That is until a month before her career debut.

"One day, I'll never forget it," said Day. "She worked half a mile with some others, it was a routine breeze, a chapter in the book at that stage. (Jockey) Brian Swatuk was on her and when he came back he looked at me and said 'this might be the best horse I've ever sat on in my life.' And he's never been a 'b.s.'er about a horses value."

On July 7, 1990, Dance Smartly was the worst kept secret at Woodbine and won her debut at 1 to 2 by 3 1/2 lengths.

Following an easy allowance score, Dance Smartly was surprisingly beaten in Fort Erie's Ontario Debutante Stakes over a sloppy track. She got back on the winning track in the grassy Natalma Stakes and was packed up with her talented stablemate Wilderness Song and sent to Belmont's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

"We all knew Dance Smartly was the best filly," Samuel told Canadian Thoroughbred magazine in 1991. "Wilderness Song couldn't train with her or do anything with her."

But the Juvenile Fillies turned out to a debacle that local racing fans still talk about today in which the stablemates dueled each other into defeat.

"It was a catastrophe," said Day. "The plan of the race was that Wilderness Song, who had Swatuk riding, would be on or near the lead and Dance Smartly, with Sandy Hawley, would run a strategic race off the pace and that would give both of them a chance."

Instead, the two fillies fought tooth-and-nail through a half-mile in a rapid :45.80 and were out of gas by the stretch run.

To her credit, Dance Smartly finished third to Meadow Star in a courageous effort.

Dance Smartly blossomed as a 3-year-old and sailed through wins in the Star Shoot, Selene and the Canadian Oaks, the latter race with American jockey Pat Day in tow, leading Samuel and Day to ponder the Plate as the filly's next target.

"Mr. Samuel was always very keen on the Plate," said Day. "She had gotten (to the Plate) looking pretty strong."

The stable sent out a three-horse entry that day, including Wilderness Song and champion colt Rainbows for Life, but Dance Smartly left her mates and five other rivals in her dust in an eight-length romp.

She rolled through wins in Fort Erie's Prince of Wales Stakes and then completed her sweep of the Bank of Montreal Triple Crown, which offered a $1 million bonus, with a handy Breeders' Stakes score at 1 1/2 miles on the turf.

"By then she was getting to be a special horse and the connection with 'brother' Pat was pretty strong," said Day. "He would ride her extremely well, very patiently. He thought of her as a high quality filly and that confidence boosted my confidence."

With the Grade II Molson Export Million in their own backyard, the Sam-Son team elected to pit their star filly against American champion Fly So Free and others in the 1 1/8 mile test.

Sent off as a close second choice behind Fly So Free, Dance Smartly again showed the boys no mercy and surged to a two-length victory.

With seven weeks before the Distaff, Day put Dance Smartly away for three weeks of 'quiet time' before charging her back up for the Breeders' Cup.

"One thing that sticks out in my mind was when we had her and Wilderness Song at Keeneland three weeks before the Distaff," said Day. "Hughie Chatman is jogging Dance Smartly one morning and he tells me she's not jogging right. I thought he was kidding."

Day's worst nightmare was true: Dance Smartly was favouring a front foot.

Somewhat easing the pain of that problem, Wilderness Song led all the way and won the Spinster Stakes (gr.I) under a masterful ride by Day. She was ready for the Distaff, but would Dance Smartly be ready?

"Dr. Alex Harthill helped us with her for three weeks," said Day. 'But we got to a week before the race and she had done diddly squat."

Day had time to give Dance Smartly a single, strong workout at six furlongs and was relieved when she blew away a workmate and finished with verve.

It was nail biting time for the Sam-Son team on Breeders' Cup day when Dance Smartly and her mate went to post as the heavy 1 to 2 favourites.

"I vividly remember going to the paddock," said Balaz. "I saw a lot of the gang from Woodbine and many Canadian flags. We just wanted her to go out and show the world what our Canadian-breds could do."

Dance Smartly did just that on the most important day of her racing career. Under perfect handling from Day she sat a glorious trip behind the front runners before launching a three-wide bid two furlongs from the wire.

"Down the backside, at the half-mile pole I didn't think she was going that great," said Day. "But then she charged around the turn, got into contention and then drew off. So that was quite exciting."

With her head cocked to the grandstand as she liked to do, Dance Smartly strolled away from top class mares such as Fit for a Queen and Brought to Mind and held off a charging Versailles Treaty to win by 1 1/2 lengths.

In owner's row, Samuel had been screeching "hurry up, hurry up" for almost half a minute as the stretch run seemed to take an eternity.

"I still remember Dad throwing his arms up in the air after the race, that was his trademark move," said Balaz. "It was kind of a blur but yet it was such a high, she kind of swept everyone along in it."

As Day dismounted, he was asked to compare Dance Smartly to his other top mounts. "I was fortunate enough to ride Lady's Secret when she was Horse of the Year and this filly just went by her earnings, so this filly has got to be right next to her."

As a 4-year-old, Dance Smartly spent a lot of time racing on the grass, winning the restricted Canadian Maturity (Can-I) over the boys and finishing third in the Grade 1 Beverly D. Handicap at Arlington.

But on September 24, 1992, Samuel announced that his prized mare had been fighting a pulled suspensory ligament in her right front leg and was going to be retired.

Dance Smartly was never worse than third in 17 career races, winning 12 and banking $3,263,836.

Incredibly, her saga does not end there as she has begun a new line of champions for Sam-Son in the breeding shed.

From five foals to race, Dance Smartly has produced Queen's Plate winners Scatter the Gold, now a stallion in Japan, and the filly Dancethruthedawn, also a Grade 1 winner who has already joined the broodmare band.

Samuel passed away on May 25, 2000 at the age of 69, only a month before Scatter the Gold's Plate triumph.

Dance Smartly was named outstanding broodmare at the 2001 Sovereign Awards, the third generation of Sam-Son mares to win such an award.

"She truly stands for what my father's breeding program was all about," said Balaz "She's the whole package."

IN MEMORIAM

Dave MacLean

One of trainer Dave MacLean’s last days at the racetrack was standing in the winner’s circle with his trainee ONEMOREBOURBON a few weeks ago at Woodbine.

The trainer passed away after a long battle with cancer in Orangeville on Aug. 17.

MacLean had clients like Frank Stronach, Norcliffe Stables and Richard Duchoissois. He trained stakes winners Corseque and Katahaula County. Statistics say he won 178 races from 1,321 starts.

MacLean has two children and a wife, Tess.

SCOREBOARD – WOODBINE TRAINERS

Strts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses

Mark E. Casse 179 41 37 22 $2,984,668

Robert P. Tiller 186 38 20 17 $1,615,038

Abraham R. Katryan 157 33 15 18 $888,631

Sid C. Attard 184 31 31 17 $1,808,973

Reade Baker 219 29 27 31 $1,951,999

SCOREBOARD –WOODBINE JOCKEYS

Mts Wins 2nds 3rds Purses

*Tyler Pizarro 536 72 69 64 $3,155,822

Emile Ramsammy 419 69 41 48 $3,145,390

Patrick Husbands 368 67 77 46 $4,799,265

Emma-Jayne Wilson 500 57 71 67 $4,057,688

David Clark 299 51 31 21 $2,571,731

Eurico Rosa Da Silva 351 44 36 36 $1,725,937

*apprentice

HORSES

Strts Wins 2nd 3rd Earnings

Gigi's Charm 6 4 1 0 $126,300

Yolie 7 4 1 0 $120,524

Son Sarria 7 4 0 1 $88,194

Jacknows 5 4 0 1 $53,476

Dashing Admiral 6 4 0 0 $124,309

$300,000 CANADIAN DERBY ON SATURDAY

From Edmonton Sun

By JOHN SHORT

Churchill Down. Woodbine. Delmar. Aqueduct. Belmont Park.

Arlington. Bay Meadows. Golden Gate. Hollywood Park.

Bettors and fans at some of North America's leading racing tracks will have at least a rooting interest in the $300,000 Canadian Derby at Northlands Park on Aug. 25.

When the entry deadline closed Wednesday morning with 12 colts on the list, only three showed large Edmonton or Alberta performance records.

The other nine all had success - large or limited - at tracks of the quality listed above.
Respectable Bear Soldier and the improving Greenwood Meadow are the only entrants with solid Edmonton connections. In addition, Codio raced here once after getting established at an Iowa track and Amazin Blue, winner of the $125,000 Alberta Derby at Stampede Park in June, returns after a disappointing journey to the magnificent Delmar facility in Southern California.

The top three finishers in the Manitoba Derby - Weather Warning, Rage Till Dawn and Great Discovery - are making the trip from Winnipeg.

*(Note – Only Weather Warning and Rage Till Dawn are expected to compete)

Ookashada, lifetime winner of nearly $300,000 in 10 starts, comes from Vancouver's Hastings Park after winning two consecutive $50,000 features.

Kilmoganny and Gandolff, a pair of maidens with eight career starts apiece, come in from Toronto Woodbine and Vancouver's Hastings Park.

Sir Gallovic carries an impressive history. The Kentucky-bred bay won at Belmont Park, was purchased by Glen Todd and Patrick Kinsella, then recorded a big victory in Vancouver.

Trainer Troy Taylor's friends understand his thinking: the Canadian Derby, B.C. Derby at Vancouver and a couple of big purses at Longacres in Seattle could make for a lucrative summer in his barn.

Footprint, the hottest of Alberta's three-year-olds, was sharp in the $75,000 Ky Alta and Count Lathum, and boasts the best record of all: once out of the money in 12 starts.

"He just keeps getting better," jockey Real Simard said after the Count Lathum triumph.

Trained by Joan Petrowski, Footprint likes to sit within reach of the leader and firing in the last furlong or two.

"Stalkers with that style are perfect for a (five-furlong) track like Northlands, a racing veteran explained. "Even with 12 starters, it shouldn't be crowded at the start."

If Footprint runs back to his recent form and can finish well while carrying 126 pounds for 1\ miles, it may not be crowded at the finish, either.