The War Dancer gelding Sinful Dancer was among the winners at the 80th Aiken Trials last weekend in South Carolina. Barry Bornstein Photo.
Kimberly Smith’s Sinful Dancer, last seen in a sanctioned race winning at Aqueduct in early December, was among the winners Saturday at the 80th renewal of the Aiken Trials.
The 5-year-old War Dancer gelding won the City of Aiken Trophy, the featured event run on the Aiken Training Track, for trainer David Figueroa. He won the 4 1/2-furlong event from off the pace by less than a length under Makaia Paige Carpenter over He Is Bonafide in :55, according to a report in the Aiken Standard.
“When we came around the turn, my horse just started to pick it up,” Carpenter told the Standard. “He understood his job. And when I asked him for a little bit more, he did the rest. I’m so grateful to have this opportunity.”
Bred by Wes Carter, foaled at Rockridge Stud in Hudson and out of the unraced Purge mare Sensationista, Sinful Dancer was purchased by Thomas E. Brockley for $50,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale. He finished second in his first two starts in 2021, including the Times Square division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes.
Sinful Dancer won his most recent two starts at Aqueduct – taking a maiden claiming event at Aqueduct Nov. 13 and a $16,000 open claiming race Dec. 4. He was claimed in the latter.
“It was just what he needed,” Figueroa told the Standard. “This was a horse that we were giving a little bit of time off from the races, and this was the perfect place to start him back.”
War Dancer, a 13-year-old son of War Front who stands for $7,500 at Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions LLC in Stillwater, finished third on New York’s general sire list in 2022 with progeny earnings of more than $2.8 million.
