Millennium Farms’ Will He Shine, a grade II stakes winner by Silver Deputy, will run next in the $300,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (gr. I) Nov. 24 at Laurel Park in Maryland, the farm said Nov. 13. The De Francis Dash is for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs.
The De Francis Dash, the final grade I stakes in Maryland for 2007, was won last year by Thor’s Echo, who won the TVG Breeders’ Cup Sprint (gr. I) and the 2006 Eclipse Award as champion sprinter. Other sprint champions who won the Dash are Housebuster, Cherokee Run, and Smoke Glacken.
Will He Shine, a half-brother to Belmont Futurity (gr. I) winner Cuvee, worked five furlongs in 1:01.3 at Churchill Downs Nov. 13, according to trainer Steve Asmussen.
“I am extremely pleased with his workout this morning, and he’ll make a good showing in the De Francis Dash,” Asmussen said. “He’ll have a light half-mile (workout the week of Nov. 18).”
The De Francis Dash will mark Will He Shine’s final career start before he retires to stud at Ro Parra’s Millennium Farms in Lexington. His stud fee earlier was set at $6,500, live foal guaranteed.