Inish Glora One to Beat in Dance Smartly

It took some time for Inish Glora, who is set to contest the $162,450 Dance Smartly (Can-III) Saturday at Woodbine, to reach her peak form, but the champion daughter of Regal Classic has certainly done so over the past two years.

Inish Glora stands out in a field of six set for the 1 1/8-mile Dance Smartly.

The Robert Costigan-owned 6-year-old began her career at the races in September of 2000, a ninth-place effort on the main track, nearly 25 lengths back of Lasting Light at Hastings Park in Vancouver.

Twenty-eight races and nearly $800,000 in earnings later, she's a different competitor.

"She's a great horse, who shows up every time she's out there," said jockey Todd Kabel, who has been aboard Inish Glora for her past seven starts. "She gives you everything she has."

In those seven starts, dating back to June of 2003, Inish Glora, last year's Sovereign Award top turf female, has raced exclusively on the grass at the Toronto oval. The results, with the exception of a seventh-place finish in the E.P. Taylor Stakes (Can-I), have been pleasing. She's, won five and narrowly lost to Heyahohowdy in the Belle Geste Stakes.

With two starts in 2004, both wins, the Mac Benson-trained mare has been at her best, including a three-length score in June's Nassau Stakes (Can-III).

"She's in great form and has run extremely well this year and last year," praised Kabel, Woodbine's leading rider overall (73) and on the turf (24). "She really digs in when they start coming after her. She doesn't like to give in."

Known for her front-running style, the Ontario-bred has a record of 5-1-2 from 12 career turf starts.

Strait From Texas defeated Chopinina to win the 2003 Nassau Stakes.

$162,450 Dance Smartly (Can-III), fillies & mares 3 & up, 1 1/8 mile on turf
PP/Horse/Jockey/Trainer
1/Classic Stamp/Patrick Husbands/Cliff Hopmans
2/One For Rose/Emile Ramsammy/Sid Attard
3/Inish Glora/Todd Kabel/Mac Benson/
4/Raylene/Jim McAleney/Reade Baker
5/Mona Rose/Eurico Rosa Da Silva/Earl Barnett
6/Strait From Texas/Richard Dos Ramos/Paul Buttigieg