There was no shortage of heart or horsepower in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly Stakes, as Breath Away (GB) produced a spellbinding late run to capture her first graded stakes title in front of an appreciative Woodbine crowd.
For a mare whose name has always hinted at brilliance, this performance truly took the breath away. Ridden patiently by Sahin Civaci, the 5-year-old daughter of Bated Breath (GB) unleashed a powerful, ground-saving move that turned quiet confidence into exhilaration, sealing a half-length victory in the $200,000 Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T).
A thrilling finish to remember
As the gates opened, Hurricane Clair was quickest into stride, setting sharp early fractions of :23.13 and :47.50 while Breath Away (GB) settled quietly at the back of the nine-horse field. The race began to heat up as Caitlinhergrtness, last year’s King’s Plate heroine, loomed up three-wide on the turn and looked set to take command in the drive to the wire.
But from the rear, Civaci had timed his challenge to perfection. Urging his mount to lengthen her stride, Breath Away (GB) sliced through traffic with poise, each bound eating into the leader’s advantage. By the final sixteenth, her acceleration was unmistakable—steady, precise, and irresistible. She crossed the line in 1:41.74 on firm turf, a half-length clear of Caitlinhergrtness, with Ready for Shirl and Five Towns (GB) filling the minors.
“When she’s right, she’s really good”
Assistant trainer Lee Vickers, representing the Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Steven Rocco, and Marc Levine ownership team, praised both horse and jockey after the race.
“She was very smart in her first couple of starts at Gulfstream, where you really need that turn of foot,” Vickers said. “Sahin gave her a brilliant ride — saved every inch of ground, and when it was time to go, she exploded. When she’s right, she’s really, really good, and today she was right.”
Form and pedigree aligning perfectly
Bred in Britain by Highgate Stud, Breath Away (GB) is by Bated Breath (GB) out of the Nayef mare Darling Grace (GB). Saturday’s victory adds a gleaming new line to her already consistent record — 5 wins, 6 seconds, and 3 thirds from 19 starts.
Her path to Woodbine glory has been a steady climb. After breaking her maiden over 7½ furlongs at Gulfstream in January 2023, she captured the Sanibel Island Stakes in April that same year. A polished win in the Violet Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park this August hinted at her readiness to strike again at higher level — and strike she did.
With this triumph, Breath Away (GB) not only earns her first graded stakes crown but also secures an automatic invitation to the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2T) at Gulfstream Park in January — a fitting reward for a mare whose late kick could trouble any field on her day.
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