At first glance, today’s featured 9th race Voodoo Dancer for fillies and mares going a mile on the turf appears to be a two-horse betting affair on paper, and further scrutiny reveals the same conclusion.

Put another way, of course, the uncoupled Clement-trained, Dominguez ridden Fontley (2-1), a timely winner of her U. S. debut could easily repeat in today’s Voodoo Dancer.

Virtually anything Clement has been sending out these days has a big chance.

But in this spot we prefer Fontley’s mate Wallis (5-1), and apparently so does Jose Lezcano, who rode both fillies last time out and jumps off a winner for the Grade 1 Just A Game also-ran.

Lezcano apparently is assuming, as are we that Wallis has more upside going into today’s event. Making her first start off a lengthy absence, Wallis was stoutly restrained while setting the pace, a tack that worked against her when the important running began.

With that one under her belt, she should be much more settled for her return vs. a more moderate group; her back-figures indicate as much.

For her part, La Cloche (7-2), second to Fontley in her recent season’s debut, repeats the same winning two-off-a-layoff pattern that enabled her to win her comebacker and trainer Jimmy Toner has been pushing a lot of the right buttons at this meet.

We’ll box these three in the Trifecta, box Wallis and La Cloche in exactas, and bet Wallis to win at 3-1 or greater.


Running Totals: (1112) 342-215-167 Total Dollar Return: $2,353.20 [win selections only]