Field of Seven Ready to Tango

Come Dancing | Sarah Andrew

Come Dancing (Malibu Moon) was so impressive in posting back-to-back wins in the GIII Distaff H. with a gaudy 114 Beyer Speed Figure and GII Ruffian S. this spring that she went off the 4-5 favorite in the GI Ogden Phipps S. June 8. While she couldn't match strides with the streaking division leader Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) when second-best after stumbling at the start in that 1 1/16-mile contest, the Blue Devil Racing Stable colorbearer looks like a major player cutting back to seven furlongs in Saturday's GI Ketel One Ballerina S. at the Spa, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Javier Castellano replaces Manny Franco aboard the 6-5 morning-line favorite.

“I'm excited about cutting her back to seven-eighths,” trainer Carlos Martin said. “We regrouped, and in the last month, she's trained sensational with Javier [Castellano]. So, I'm really excited about running her on Saturday.”

'TDN Rising Stars' Separationofpowers (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Mia Mischief (Into Mischief), just a neck apart with the former getting the money in a thrilling renewal of last summer's GI Test S., finally get their rematch here.

Separationofpowers has only made three starts since that throwdown, most recently capturing Belmont's GIII Bed o' Roses Invitational S. June 7 with a career-high 100 Beyer Speed Figure. She was third in her seasonal debut in the GIII Vagrancy H. May 11.

Mia Mischief, meanwhile, posted her first win at the highest level with an 11-1 upset at this distance in the GI Humana Distaff S. May 4. She defeated subsequent GI Test S. victress Covfefe (Into Mischief) with a hard-fought victory in the Roxelana Overnight S. at Churchill Downs June 22, then disappointed with a fourth-place finish as the 6-5 chalk in the GII Honorable Miss H. July 24.

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