by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — Although she paced a new world record of 1:48.4 in the Mistletoe Shalee Final on August 7, the owners of Dancinwiththestarz do not feel comfortable comparing her to their 2010 Living Hall of Fame inductee, Bunny Lake, who captured the 2001 Mistletoe Shalee Final during the same season she was voted Horse of the Year.

“It was a mindblowing performance,” said co-owner Wendy Spring immediately after the race. “It really was. When we saw that :26.2 third quarter and she was still not being tested, I thought, ‘Oh my god, I think we’ve got it.

“(She’s) not going to be a Bunny Lake I’m sure and it’s been a long time since Bunny Lake,” she continued. “I’m thinking she can probably go all the way the rest of the year. In the beginning of the year I dubbed her the fourth favorite behind the other three that are good, but now I know she is right up there with all of them and she’s a force to be reckoned with.”

Spring, her husband Skip and Shannon Brott purchased the daughter of Four Starzzz Shark-So Western for $39,000 at the 2008 Standardbred Horse Sale in Harrisburg, Pa. The filly, who is conditioned by Mark Harder, is a half sister to the 2003 Sweetheart victress So Artsi and has a career slate of 21-15-3-1 with $637,466 in purse money.

Lisa photo

Dancinwiththestarz paced the fastest mile ever for a 3-year-old filly when she won the Mistletoe Shalee in 1:48.4.

At two, Dancinwiththestarz triumphed in the $200,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Final at The Meadows and the $105,250 Kindergarten Classic Final at Vernon Downs. This year, the filly won several Pennsylvania Sire Stakes events, the John Simpson Memorial at Tioga Downs, a division of the Tarport Hap and finished second to Put On A Show in her Mistletoe Shalee elimination before establishing the new world standard.

“Dancin takes care of herself just like Bunny did, but Bunny was a bit more fractious in her stall and used to get really keyed up before her races,” Skip Spring explained. “Both of them are sweet horses, but I can go in Dancin’s stall in a wheelchair and do anything I want with her. I’ve never seen her even pin her ears back and she loves attention.

“Bunny liked attention and her carrots too, but I had to be a bit more careful with her,” he continued. “When she had enough that was that. Talent-wise I think Dancin has gone almost two seconds faster than Bunny did at three, but Bunny was special and Dancin still has a long way to go to be like Bunny even though we have always thought very highly of her.”

Harder welcomed Dancinwiththestarz to his shedrow a mere three weeks prior to her record performance.

“I’ve been friends with her owners for several years,” he explained. “We had always talked about me training horses for them, like getting some yearlings and such, but it never quite worked out.

“We talked about me taking her one night at Pocono Downs and that very night we took her to our barn,” Harder continued. “She was obviously already a first class horse when I got her. I think I’ve had her for four starts now and since John Stark did such a top class job with her, I felt a little dubious about taking her from him.”

Skip agreed with Harder’s assessment of Stark’s ability.

“We were with John for 17 years and he did a wonderful job with Dancin and Bunny,” he said.

When any horse transitions to a new barn there is always a period of adjustment, yet this filly seems to have adapted fairly quickly.

“Mr. Harder changed her bridle, lengthened her hopples and changed her shoes,” explained Skip. “She had sore feet, so he soaked her feet and put flip flops on her. Each race she got a little bit better and after she finished second in the Mistletoe Shalee (elimination) to Put On A Show, we were looking forward to the final, until she drew the nine hole, but she was absolutely amazing.”

Put On A Show returns to challenge Dancinwiththestarz in Sunday’s $350,000 Valley Forge Final at Harrah’s Chester. Harder really likes his filly’s chances although her rival leaves from the four hole and Dancinwiththestarz starts from position seven. He also feels the intense heat which has heckled the entire nation all summer will be a non-factor.

“Obviously I feel very confident,” he said. “She’s a big, long-striding mare and nothing really seems to bother her. She’s an absolute sweetheart to be around and is great in the barn, on the track and a pleasure to train. She’s tolerated the heat so far and I suspect she will do it again. (Post position seven) is not exactly where I wanted to be, but she drew the nine hole in the Mistletoe Shalee and she overcame that. She will just have to do it again.”

After the Valley Forge, the only big races Dancinwiththestarz will not be contending are when the Grand Circuit arrives in Lexington.

“I thought they raced a little too late this year and she would already have a tough schedule by that time,” Skip said. “We want to concentrate on the Breeders Crown and I thought the shipping might be a little too rough on her.”

The $350,000 Valley Forge
PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Line
1-Hula’s Z Tam-Patrick Lachance-Patrick Lachance-5-1
2-It’s De Lovely-Jeff Gregory-James Giorgianni-8-1
3-Ruffle’s Kiss-John Campbell-Joe Pavia, Jr.-12-1
4-Put On A Show-Tim Tetrick-Chris Ryder-2-1
5-A And Gs Princess-David Miller-Mark Capone-6-1
6-Panagler-Ron Pierce-Robert McIntosh-15-1
7-Dancinwiththestarz-Brian Sears-Mark Harder-5-2
8-Rock N Soul-Yannick Gingras-Ron Burke-8-1