Indiana-bred The Money Dance (Jimmy Creed) has made appearances at four different racetracks in his young career to date and he's set to add a fifth while trying the turf for the first time in Saturday's GIII Arlington Classic in suburban Chicago.
A homebred for the successful regional breeders trainer Mike and his wife Penny Lauer, the chestnut was unplaced in two runs at two and took some time to find his footing this year before running off to graduate by seven lengths over a rain-affected Oaklawn main track Apr. 14. He made it two straight with a visually impressive one-length allowance victory at Belmont Park May 3 and he's a threat in this graded-stakes debut, assuming he can transfer his dirt-oriented pedigree to the grass. His dam Whistlin' Jean (Pure Prize) posted a record of 6-1-4-0 with multiple stakes placings in state-bred restricted company on turf.
Ontario-bred Alternative Route (Tiznow) also tries turf for the first time, but seems to have the genes to handle the surface switch. A maiden winner at second asking in an off-turf test at the Fair Grounds in January, the bay exits a 1 3/4-length success in the Mar. 17 Rushaway S. over the Turfway Poly. His full-sister Enstone won last year's GIII Ontario Colleen S. over the E. P. Taylor turf course at Woodbine and Alternative Route could have Queen's Plate aspirations down the road.
Ezmosh (Tizway) is the slight favorite on the morning line and makes his second start on the lawn Saturday. A neck second to GII Risen Star S. upsetter and last weekend's GI Preakness S. runner-up Bravazo (Awesome Again) in a January allowance at Oaklawn, the Oklahoma-bred was most recently the one-length winner of a first-level allowance over the Fair Grounds turf course Mar. 25. Leading rider Jose Valdivia, Jr. has the call for trainer Brad Cox.
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