Nevertheless, the races are run with jockeys wearing face masks and those that are allowed in the winner's circle also wearing masks. There's a saying that no one has to be asked to smile in the winner's circle. But these days you can't see the smiles. They're there, because money won is twice as nice as money earned.
And that's where Step Dancer comes in, a 2-year-old colt running for the third time on the turf in the 8th race, the Awad Stakes, a black type ungraded stakes race that was run with a nice complement of 11 horses.
The fractions and final time were truly pedestrian. But the turf was yielding after two full days of rain. The 1:483/5 for the mile and a sixteenth was more like a slow time for a mile and an eighth. But they pay off for finishing first, not time. All you have to do to win is finish ahead of everyone else, and Step Dancer did with a patient ride up the hedge, steered by Dylan Davis, exploding through the opening and leaving no doubt about the outcome.
I remember betting on Dylan Davis at Saratoga in his first year of riding. Dylan is the son of long-retired journeyman jockey Robbie Davis. Years ago he was on a horse that clearly needed to be on the front end to have any chance of winning the mile and an eighth race.
If you know anything about Saratoga mile and an eighth dirt races—once around the oval—you know it is possible to win wire-to-wire if you get out in front, control the pace, and gun it home.
And that's exactly what young Dylan did in the race. As he was making his way around the track comfortably in front, not going too fast, I remember yelling, "don't fall off." And Dylan didn't, producing a nice payoff. I figured if the trainer had enough confidence to give him the ride, then I had enough confidence to bet him. Money won is twice as nice as money earned.
The principle owner of Step Dancer is Richie Pressman, a long-time friend of Bobby G., one of The Assembled. I first hit with one of Richie's horses 16 years ago when Sweet Moving D. put everyone in the winner's circle. The horse was bred and named by Richie for his wife Donna, who apparently loves to hit the dance floor and moves sweetly when she does.
Donna became a co-owner of Step Dancer after the Pilgrim Stakes, Step Dancer's second race after surprising everyone with a $50.50 payoff in his first start, a maiden special weight race at Saratoga on September 4. The crafty trainer Barclay Tagg pointed Step Dancer to the Pilgrim Stakes hoping for a first place finish and a guarantee "win-and-you're-in" to the Juvenile Breeders' Cup turf race.
The win in the Pilgrim was not to be, with Step Dancer finishing a decent third, but not impressively enough to be pointed to the Breeders' Cup. So when the Awad Stakes came up, Step Dancer was entered in what is an $80,000 black type ungraded stakes race.
The Awad requires subscription and nominating fees for entry, advance planning that I'm not sure was done for Step Dancer. There is a bit of an escape clause that allows late entry which is called a "supplemental" entry that is possible with a $1,000 supplemental entry fee. However Step Dancer got in, he was in the starting gate.
The setting sun gave the backstretch trees a Conquistador gold glow on the TV telecast. The sharply slanted sun produced great shadows and shades of light on the turf course. Win or lose, it was not a day not to be allowed to be there.
We live vicariously through Richie's ownership. I once asked Bobby G. didn't he ever want to go in with Richie on being a co-owner. Bobby G. a retired surgeon, quickly remarked that it was bad enough one of them "had the disease."
And what a "disease" thoroughbred ownership is. But standing in the winner's circle with his wife, each wearing a Covid face mask, I'm sure there were smiles underneath. Even wearing a mask, no one has to be asked to smile in the winner's circle.
Money won is always twice as nice as money earned.
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