Facing just three rivals after the scratch of morning-line favorite Elm Drive, Dance to the Music capitalized to register her first stakes victory in the $98,000 Desert Stormer Stakes (G3) March 25 at Santa Anita Park.
Second in the 2021 Del Mar Debutante (G1) as a juvenile and in the 2022 Desert Stormer, the Maclean's Music 4-year-old filly did one position better Saturday. Part of the early pace with recent $40,000 claim Violent Runner, she gradually put that one away by a length, completing six furlongs in 1:10.45 under Juan Hernandez.
Stella Noir ran third behind runner-up Violent Runner. Half Past Twelve finished last.
Dance to the Music's victory Saturday was her first since May and had followed three consecutive losses by large margins. She returned $4.40 for a $2 win wager.
"For a filly that is grade 1-placed, she needed that stakes win for residual value," trainer Mark Glatt said. "We gave a lot of money for her, so I'm just so happy for the owners, especially after she tailed off on us a little bit. We had to do a little throat surgery and tried turf last time and that was kind of a disaster."
Bred by George Kirkorian in Kentucky, Dance to the Music is out of the Congrats mare Beautified. She was a $575,000 purchase by owners Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal from the Paul Sharp consignment to the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training in 2021.
