Dance Caller Wires Field in Northern Spur

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Owner Frank Fletcher of Frank Fletcher Racing Operations and trainer Bob Holthus, nine-time champion at Oaklawn, have both experienced lingering physical ailments in recent months, but the trip to the winner's circle following the win by Fletcher's Dance Caller in the $75,000 Northern Spur Stakes at Oaklawn on Saturday afternoon had both of them smiling and moving a little quicker.

Dance Caller, a three-year-old son of Concorde's Tune had been Fletcher's "Derby horse" early in the season, but all didn't go according to plan for the bay colt. A second in the Dixieland on opening weekend of the meet was followed by an impressive six furlongs allowance score.  Whelled back in to the Mountain Valley, however, Dance Caller was trapped much of the way and had to settle for a fourth place finish.

Between Fletcher's illness and continuing problems for the 75-year-old Holthus, Dance Caller was eventually pointed to the one mile Northern Spur as a good spot to try the runner for the first time around two turns.  The response was a race worthy of the stakes, which is named for the courageous runner who won the Breeders' Cup Turf Stakes while racing in the colors of Oaklawn owner Charles Cella.

Leading all the way while setting fast fractions under veteran jockey Larry Sterling, Jr., Dance Caller put up fractions of :22.3, :45.3 and 1:10.4, holding a clear lead throughout.  Although Zoller, Zoller & Wagner's Uno Mas made a bid leaving the final turn, he could never seriously cut into the margin, finishing a length-and-a-quarter behind the winner, although he was part of the even-money favored entry with Gold Mark Farm's Headstart. Joseph Novogratz's Fufty Too finished third in the 12-horse field, a neck behind Uno Mas.

For Fletcher, a very popular Little Rock businessman, the lifelong dream is to have an Arkansas Derby winner.  Minus that on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, the Northern Spur went a long way in making a successful day for the overjoyed owner.  With the win Dance Caller took his career mark to three wins and two seconds from eight starts and bankroll to $102,580.