Dancingdreamer another Stutzman standout
by James Platz
Aaron Stutzman has gained a reputation for developing fast horses. Under his guidance, then-sophomore Soaring Now was named Indiana Pacer of the Year following the 2022 season. Before he was sold and began to make his mark on the East Coast, Sabonis dominated the Hoosier State last season for the conditioner, winning 16 of 18 starts including 13 consecutive. Now, he has yet another pacer with a swift turn of hoof drawing attention at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in freshman Dancingdreamer.
“He’s just been, I don’t know how to put it, handy all the way around,” Stutzman said of the 2-year-old. “He’s a professional. He has been professional up to this point. He knows what he’s supposed to do and, you know, when I tip him and ask him for a little pace, he’ll just go to work.”
Although the season is still young, when Dancingdreamer shifts into gear, he makes quick work of the competition. It’s not just the end result that grabs attention, it’s the way in which he has scored each win. The Rockin Image—Doc’s Diva colt started the campaign with a pair of qualifiers over the Hoosier Park oval. The first effort produced a dominating gate-to-wire circuit where the pacer won by more than 12 lengths, timed in 1:54.4. Two weeks later Stutzman sat third with his pupil before moving after the half. Dancingdreamer kicked home in :27 that day to win comfortably by nearly five lengths.
“We’ve known from the past that these 2-year-old pacing colts are going to go in [1]:51 or [1]:50 their first start,” the trainer said. “We tried to have him prepped for that kind of mile.”
Indeed, Dancingdreamer was prepared. The racing world, not so much. In his pari-mutuel debut July 3, the colt provided early fireworks with a speed display rarely witnessed this early in a freshman campaign. In rein to Stutzman in a $15,000 Indiana Sire Stakes eligible event, Dancingdreamer caught a perfect trip behind favored Fire Inside, who set fractions of :27.1 and :56.3 while being pursued by Lexi Sarkine and Heritage Mocha.
“I was just riding and then when Lexi tipped and we went to the half in 56 I was like, well, we’re going to go too fast now,” Stutzman said. “But I never figured a mile in [1]:50.4. But I tipped him off of cover and he did the rest.”
In the stretch, the freshman sprinted away from the competition, powering home with a :26 closing kick to break his maiden by nearly six lengths. The 1:50.4 mile established a national season’s mark. Since then, filly A Clean Deal has matched the time, while colt Beau Jangles has surpassed it with a 1:50.1 clocking.
Dancingdreamer backed up his debut with an equally-impressive effort in the opening round of Indiana Sire Stakes. While not as quick, it was still a dominant display. Stutzman raced first over with the colt before putting the field away by more than four lengths in the $66,500 division, held July 11. They covered the mile in 1:51.1.
“I was hoping for a second over trip, but well, what do you do?” the trainer said. “With a colt that good you don’t sit. You can’t get boxed in and get him beat if at all possible.”
Now two-for-two, Dancingdreamer was a $13,000 purchase out of the Midwest Classic Mixed Sale last November. The colt was bred by Stutzman’s father, Levi, proprietor of Luckiana Farm in Goshen, IN. Out of a Shadow Play mare, the pacer is a brother to Check Six gelding Heat Check. He was purchased by William Beck and Desyllas Racing LLC, with Jeff Eckburg joining the ownership group after his debut. Aaron said his father tried to enter the colt in the Hoosier Classic sale, but he didn’t make the cut due to his size.
“He was a little small when they came and looked at him for the sale,” Aaron said. “They didn’t take him at Hoosier. It’s a good family, and he’s a good-built colt. He’s not a big horse, but he’s put up right. He’s been nice from day one. He’s been fun so far.”
Aaron said he is accustomed to sitting behind his horses in qualifiers and a few early starts before handing over the reins. However, the owners have asked him to stay in the bike. He said there are advantages to sitting behind his charge, but the responsibility of navigating a good trip also falls on him.
“It’s less stressful being in the bike because I’m going to be making the decisions,” he said. “Having said that, it’s also less pressure standing at the sidelines. I have nobody to blame but me when I’m out there. I also have to look at it from a trainer’s perspective because the next morning I have to look at him. If I screwed him up, that’s my fault.”
So far, Aaron and Dancingdreamer have made all the right moves. The colt has banked $40,750 and is the early leader in the division. He will make his next start Wednesday (July 30) in the second round of Indiana Sire Stakes action. Dancingdreamer will square off against five other colts in the night’s 11th race, which carries a $66,000 purse. He has drawn post 2. The field also includes a pair of undefeated freshmen in Swiss Lights (post 6) and Royal Richie Doyle (post 5), as well as King Tellit, a winner in two of three attempts.
“He’s one of those horses, if at all possible, he’ll do it to the best of his ability,” Aaron said. “He likes his work. Usually, it’s how far and how fast do you want to go? That’s all he asks.”
