TORONTO, July 30, 2025 – Nice as Pie will make her second straight start at Woodbine when she goes postward in Saturday’s $125,000 Sweet Briar Too Stakes. Trained by Kelsey Danner for owner and breeder Dede McGehee, Nice as Pie arrives at the six-furlong E.P. Taylor turf feature for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, off a troubled third in the Hendrie Stakes (G3), contested at 6 ½ furlongs over the Woodbine main track, on July 5. After getting away a step slowly, the 4-year-old daughter of Tapiture was in tight along the rail and had to check at the half-mile mark. “She can kind of find trouble because she never really breaks super sharp,” said Danner, who is enjoying a strong 2025 campaign. “But once she settles into rhythm, she can take off after that. She has natural talent. She’s very athletic and nimble.” After a seventh to start her career in August of 2023, Nice as Pie rhymed off four consecutive wins to conclude the 2024 Winter/Spring Meet at Turfway Park, from January 3, 2024, to March 30, 2024. Two of those scores came at the stakes level, the Valdale, in February, and the Serena’s Song, at the end of March. Nice As Pie (Coady Photography) Out of the Include mare How Nice, Nice as Pie is a half-sister to the Danner-trained standout sprinter Smokin’ Jay, as well as two other winners at sprint distances. The consistent bay ability continues to impress the multiple graded stakes winning conditioner. “It will be nice to see her on grass,” said Danner, of the filly who has comprised a record of 5-3-2 from 15 starts, along with $424,376 in purse earnings. “She hasn’t been on the grass much. “Last year, in the (one-mile turf) Penn Oaks, she was second and it was an excellent effort. She closed very strong and we’re hoping she can do the same thing on Saturday.” Nice as Pie had a pair of workouts at Churchill Downs in preparation for the Sweet Briar Too, including a four-furlong breeze in :47.80 over the main track on July 24. “She’s been working very well,” said Danner. “She’s a very sweet filly. Everything we’ve had out of that mare has been sweet and classy, very easy to be around.” Danner will also be represented by Sickle Dance. A 5-year-old daughter of Bee Jersey out of the Danehill Dancer (IRE) mare Dance Secretary (IRE), Sickle Dance will make her first start outside of the U.S. Owned by NBS Stable, the chestnut mare was fifth in the Queen Stakes, a six-furlong sprint over the Turfway Park all-weather track, on March 15. “She raced well against Nice as Pie this winter,” noted Danner, of the fourth-place effort to her winning stablemate on February 12 at Turfway. “She ran in the stakes race after that, and she showed some nice late run. We shut her down for a bit after that. She’s been working well, and she will love the six furlongs and the grass in this one.” Bred in Kentucky by Charles Fipke, Sickle Dance was a $200,000 purchase at the 2022 OBS Company June Two-Year-Olds & Horses of Racing Age Sale. Fans can wager on all the action via HPIbet.com and bet365.com. The wagering menu for the Sweet Briar Too includes Rolling Double, Exacta, .20 Trifecta, .20 Superfecta, .20 Pick 3 (Races 6-7-8), .20 Pick 5 (6-7-8-9-10) and $1 Swinger. First post is 1:05 p.m. Field for the $125,000 Sweet Briar Too – Race 6 Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer 1 – Oujda (FR) – Rafael Hernandez – William Walden 2 – Queen of the Mud (IRE) – Pietro Moran – Graham Motion 3 – Ready to Jam (S) – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse 4 – Ticker Tape Home – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse 5 – Run for the Hills – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse 6 – Sickle Dance – Victor Espinoza – Kesley Danner 7 – Metaphysical – Fraser Aebly – Tony Gattellaro 8 – Nice as Pie – Sofia Vives – Kelsey Danner 9 – Dancing Duchess – Jose Campos – Mark Casse 10 – Dontlookbackatall – Eric Cancel – Miguel Clement 11 – Loon Cry – Ryan Munger – Miguel Clement Chris Lomon, Woodbine Share This:Share
