Dance Smartly (CAN)

Biography

Dance Smartly was the second filly to win the Canadian Triple Crown and the first Canadian-bred horse to win a Breeders’ Cup race. A bay daughter of Danzig out of the Smarten mare Classy ’N Smart, Dance Smartly was bred in Ontario by Ernie Samuel’s Sam-Son Farm and trained by James E. Day.

“She was one of the best and probably the most versatile horses in Canadian racing history,” Day said.

Dance Smartly was a Canadian champion when she won three of five starts as a 2-year-old in 1990, including the Natalma Stakes, before her undefeated 3-year-old campaign in 1991.

With Hall of Fame Pat Day as her jockey, Dance Smartly won the Queen’s Plate by eight lengths on dirt, the Prince of Wales Stakes by two lengths, and the 1½-mile Breeders’ Stakes on grass by eight lengths. It was the first time since Queensway in 1932 that a filly won the Canadian Triple Crown.

Dance Smartly added victories in the Canadian Oaks and Molson Export Million that year and concluded her season by winning the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs (defeating older champion Queena, as well as Versailles Treaty and Brought to Mind). As a result of winning all eight of her starts in 1991, Dance Smartly won two Sovereign awards, including Canada’s Horse of the Year, as well as the Eclipse Award for Champion 3-Year-Old Filly.

As a 4-year-old in 1992, Dance Smartly won the Canadian Maturity, again defeating males, before being retired with a career record of 12-2-3 from 17 starts and earnings of $3,263,835, a record for a filly or mare at the time.

Dance Smartly died Aug. 17, 2007, at the age of 19 at Sam-Son Farm. 

Achievements

Sovereign Award Champion 2-Year-Old Filly (Canada) — 1990
Eclipse Award Champion 3-Year-Old Filly — 1991
Sovereign Award Horse of the Year (Canada) — 1991
Sovereign Award Champion 3-Year-Old Filly (Canada) — 1991

Canadian Triple Crown Highlights

Won the Queen’s Plate — 1991
Won the Prince of Wales Stakes — 1991
Won the Breeders’ Stakes — 1991

Breeders' Cup Highlights

Won the Distaff — 1991

Notable

Won the Natalma Stakes — 1990
Won the Canadian Oaks — 1991
Won the Molson Export Million Stakes — 1991
Won the Selene Stakes — 1991
Won the Star Shoot Stakes — 1991
Won the Canadian Maturity Stakes — 1992

Horse Profile for Dance Smartly | Equibase is Your Official Source for Thoroughbred Racing Information