Trainer Brittany Russell joked Saturday afternoon that when Tom Ryan’s SF Bloodstock bought Sea Dancer for $150,000 at Keeneland’s November sale and sent the three-year-old Mastery filly to her, Ryan’s only instruction was to win a stake with her new charge.

No pressure, right?

Sea Dancer, out of the stake-placed Congrats mare Cuyathy, is a half-sister to the Grade 1 winner Johannes, who most recently was a near-miss second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile on the turf. So any black type at all would only enhance the value of a well-bred filly who’s a half to one of the top turf runners in the country.

After Saturday’s $100,000 Carousel Stakes at Laurel Park, you can call it mission accomplished.

“The goal was to be third,” Russell said afterwards. “To win it was huge.”

Sea Dancer had been toiling on the West Coast for most of her career. But while she had run some decent races, she had failed to hit the board in any of six stakes tries, all on the turf. Today, in her first start off the green stuff, the dirt definitely seemed to agree with her.

“You don’t know, these turf horses, the kickback, you don’t know how they’re going to handle these things,” she said. “But she’s worked really well on the dirt, and she’s trained really well on the dirt. You’re just hoping.”

Brittany Russell and husband Sheldon Russell, a jockey, teamed up to win three times Saturday, including this contest.

Sheldon Russell had his mount saving ground and well off the early pace set by Malibu Beauty with company from longshot Call Another Play. Those two whipped through a half-mile in 48.05 seconds and six furlongs in 1:13.20 while heads apart.

“Last night Sheldon watched every race she ever ran, so I kind of just left it up to him,” Brittany Russell said. “She traveled every step of the way today with confidence.”

After pausing briefly to await running room, Sea Dancer came wide for the drive and inched clear from Miss New York in the final furlong. Running time for the nine furlongs on a fast main track was 1:53.27.

Miss New York held second, while Evidencias was third. Sea Dancer paid $34.20 to win. Movie Moxy, the post time favorite, was last of the nine.

One race later, Film Star wore down longtime leader Speedyness to win the Robert T. Manfuso Stakes by a head. Jose Lezcano rode the winner for trainer Linda Rice and owner Ronald Stewart. Post time favorite Copper Tax was a bland fourth.

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