Malibu Moon’s Come Dancing keeps rolling in G2 Ruffian

Come Dancing has won back-to-back graded stakes by a combined 14 1/2 lengths | NYRA photo

Malibu Moon’s top-class mare Come Dancing captured her second straight graded stakes by 6 3/4-lengths to win the Grade 2, $250,000 Ruffian S. on a rainy Sunday afternoon at Belmont Park.

The 5-year-old won the Aqueduct’s Distaff H. (G3) last time out by 7 ¾-lengths and earned an outstanding Beyer Speed Figure of 114. She is now 6-1-0 in 10 starts and has banked $476,400 for owner/breeder Blue Devil Racing Stable LLC.

After getting out of the gate a little slow, Come Dancing quickly recovered and put herself in second, less than a length off longshot Frostie Anne, through a quarter-mile in :23.76. She forged her way to the front just after the half-way point, and opened up on the field in upper stretch to leave no doubt the rest of the way.

She completed the one-mile distance in a final time of 1:36.54 on the sloppy and sealed main track.

“She’s a nice filly and she knows what’s she doing,” said winning rider Manny Franco. “She broke out of there a little slow but after the first three steps, she was right in there. Right away, she was taking me all the way. Man, she took me to the lead without asking.

“When she put her head in front, she put her ears up. When she felt the horse [Pacific Wind, No. 1] coming, she just exploded. I had a lot of horse under me. She’s getting better. I think this is the best she’s been, right now.”

Come Dancing is a daughter of Demoiselle S. (G2) winner Tizahit and is one of Malibu Moon’s 10 stakes horses this year.