Dance to Bristol finished sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, but her connections are still quick to call her “a dream come true.”
For trainer Ollie Figgins, Dance to Bristol has spent 11 months proving she belongs in the best company. The journey ends on Saturday.
Everything has gone smoothly for Dance to Bristol and trainer Ollie Figgins this year. All that’s left is getting her and her humans to the West Coast while keeping 40+ horses on the East Coast happy.
Breeders’ Cup-bound Dance to Bristol breezed five furlongs in 58 3/5 seconds today in her last move prior to the big event.
“My whole family has been involved” in his training career says Ollie Figgins, III. That makes Dance to Bristol’s meteoric rise something of a family affair.
Rider Xavier Perez has a tattoo in honor of what he calls “my big horse.” That it’s not of Grade 1 winner Dance to Bristol points out what’s enabling him to succeed.
Trainer Ollie Figgins and Dance to Bristol have done just about everything right so far during a magical season that has them on the brink of a Breeders’ Cup trip. Our new weekly series will follow them from here to there.
J.D. Brown likes stories where success comes from unexpected places. As the agent for filly star Dance to Bristol’s rider, Xavier Perez, Brown is living just such a story — and hoping the ride continues.
Here’s a solid Virginia Derby angle: play the horses that have been on the grounds a few days. Plus Nick’s Picks!
In Saturday’s Commonwealth Turf Festival, Virginia’s racing industry came together for a much-needed good time — and a little racing.