It took Dancewithavixen five starts before she won her first race. But when she broke her maiden she did it in style, capturing the 2002 B.C. Cup Debutante.

Trained by the late Tom Longstaff, Dancewithavixen went on to become one of the most dominant 3-year-old fillies ever to run in British Columbia. Starting with a win in the Fair Lady, she won seven stakes at Hastings, including a score over older fillies and mares in the Grade 3 Ballerina.

Dancewithavixen was bred and owned by Cliff Baldwin, who became a breeder more by accident than by design. Due to health issues in 1994, Baldwin was forced to retire from his pet store business. He was looking for a hobby, so his long -time friend Longstaff encouraged him to get involved in horse racing.

The first horse he claimed was Hot Ginger for $4,000. Although Hot Ginger didn’t win a race for Baldwin, she produced Dancewithavixen, as well as Dancwithavictor, who won nine races including two stakes races. Both horses were by Vying Victor.

“I really wasn’t planning on becoming a breeder,” says Baldwin. “But after Hot Ginger got hurt, I didn’t know what else to do with her. The best thing we did was breed her to Vying Victor.”

After three straight losses in maiden special weight races to begin her career, Dancewithavixen surprised Baldwin when she finished second in the Timber Music with Felipe Valdez aboard for the first time. The improved performance encouraged Baldwin and Longstaff to run her in the Debutante. Valdez rode Dancewithavixen for the rest of her career at Hastings.

“We actually liked another horse we had, Rainbows Forever, a lot more in the Timber Music, so we were absolutely ecstatic when Vixen finished second,” says Baldwin.

After her win in the Debutante, Dancewithavixen closed out her year with a troubled fifth in the Sadie Diamond Futurity.

When she came back as a 3-year-old, however, Dancewithavixen turned into a monster. She romped in the Fair Lady and Supernaturel before being upset by Dee’s Love in the Emerald Downs. A few people were surprised when she came back a week later to run in a mile and a sixteenth allowance race.

“Some people were critical when we brought her back that quickly,” says Baldwin. “But we wanted to give her a race going long before the Liberation. It worked out perfectly, and one newspaper reporter called it a ‘paid workout.’”

Dancewithavixen went on to win the next four stakes for 3-year-old fillies by a combined total of over 20 lengths, including a walk in the park in the B.C. Cup Stallion Stakes. Her winning streak came to an end when she lost by a neck to Raylene in the Grade 2 B.C. Oaks.

“Tom told me she would have won if she had seen Raylene coming,” says Baldwin. “He opened up her blinkers in the Ballerina, and they couldn’t get past her.”

As a 4-year-old Dancewithavixen dominated her rivals in her first two starts, winning the Strawberry Morn and the Vancouver Sun. In the Sun she packed 124 pounds and since weight was becoming an increasing concern, she was given a chance to run with the boys, finishing third to Lord Nelson in the Hong Kong Jockey Club and second to Roscoe Pito in the John Longden 6000.

Dancewithavixen closed out her career with an easy win in the B.C. Cup Distaff. It was the third year in a row she had won a race on B.C Cup Day.

“She broke a bone in her ankle, and Felipe thinks she did it pulling up after the race,” says Baldwin.

She was retired to Baldwin’s farm in Abbotsford, where she died in 2009.

“We had to put her down because she just couldn’t stand up any more,” says Baldwin. “She was a great mom. She couldn’t stand up she would still nurse her foal lying down. She paid for the farm. I can’t tell you how much she meant to me.”

Dancewithavixen will always be linked to trainer Tom Longstaff, who died just prior to her induction at the annual awards dinner. He was thrilled when he was informed she had been voted into the Hall of Fame.

“Fantastic,” he said. “She was tremendous, and I have never seen a horse with more heart. It is a great honour and I really believe she deserves the award.”

Anyone who saw Dancewithavixen run would agree wholeheartedly.