Dance Smartly One of the Best for Sam-Son Farm

The news hit like a Canadian cold front, an Oct. 28 news release announcing that after 45 years in racing and breeding, historic Sam-Son Farm was leaving the business. All good things must come to an end. The universal truth of that sentiment comes with an accompanying sadness at the loss of one of the mainstays of North America's most successful breed-to-race enterprises. Of all the successful horses who have come through the Sam-Son program, perhaps the one to best represent its ideal is Dance Smartly, a second-generation homebred daughter of the blue hen mare No Class, whom Sam-Son founder Ernie Samuel purchased as a yearling for $25,000. The daughter of Nodouble—Classy Quillo, by Outing Class, earned her reputation in the paddocks rather than on the track. She produced six stakes winners from eight foals and was named Canada's outstanding broodmare in 1985. Her second foal, Classy 'n Smart, improved upon her dam track-wise. The bay daughter of Smarten won the Canadian Oaks and at year's end was honored as champion 3-year-old filly of 1984. Seven years later, she emulated her dam as outstanding broodmare in Canada. From her four stakes winners, her second foal brought Sam-Son to the pinnacle of racing. A daughter of Danzig, Dance Smartly earned honors as Canadian champion 2-year-old filly. Trained by James Day and flying the red and gold Sam-Son colors, Dance Smartly had a 3-year-old season few can rival. She debuted in the Star Shoot Stakes at Woodbine and added the Selene Stakes. A jockey change to U.S. rider Pat Day propelled her into the classics. On June 16, she kept the family tradition by winning the Canadian Oaks by 4 1/2 lengths. Three weeks later, she challenged the boys in the 10-furlong Queen's Plate at Woodbine, the first jewel of Canada's Triple Crown, scoring by eight lengths over fellow Sam-Son stablemate Wilderness Song, whom she had defeated in the Oaks. Back against males in the Prince of Wales Stakes, the 1 3/16-mile second jewel, she and Day had little trouble dispatching Professor Rabbit and four other rivals to join her connections in the Fort Erie winner's circle. A diamond and a ruby down, only the emerald remained: the 12-furlong Breeders' Stakes on Woodbine's turf. Thinking the surface change and added distance might be an Achilles' heel, nine others lined up to test her mettle. In a pure gold performance, she outdistanced her nearest competitor by eight lengths to become the second and last filly to wear Canada's Triple Crown. With 3-year-old filly honors neatly sewn up, Dance Smartly went hunting for Horse of the Year honors. Her two-length dismissal of male counterparts in the Molson Export Million Stakes (G2) at Woodbine put the final stitch in that bag as well. Seeking fame and fortune in other lands, Dance Smartly cast her competitive eye south, lighting upon the eighth running of the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Churchill Downs Nov. 2. Not only had the Ontario-bred invader handled the best in her country, she also claimed the spoils over the best the U.S. offered from the older fillies and mares division. Her 1 1/2-length victory earned her an Eclipse Award as the U.S. champion 3-year-old filly. For Sam-Son, she produced three stakes winners, headed by Labatt Woodbine Oaks and Queen's Plate winner and champion 3-year-old filly Dancethruthedawn. In 2001, Dance Smartly joined her dam and granddam as a third-generation winner of outstanding broodmare honors in Canada. As one chapter ends, another begins. The Dance Smartly descendants in the Sam-Son dispersal could make ripe pickings for other breeders.