Dancer's Bajan tries getting back on track

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Dancer's Bajan bypassed last Sunday's Queen's Plate after running sixth in the June 3 Plate Trial Stakes. He will try to rebound in Saturday's $150,000 Achievement Stakes, a six-furlong dash for Ontario-bred 3-year-olds.

Dancer's Bajan, a flashy chestnut with four white legs and a white blaze, may be the most recognizable horse at Woodbine. He won two Ontario sire stakes by a nose at 2, the seven-furlong Frost King and the 1 1/16-mile Kingarvie.

Dancer's Bajan was second to favored Like Mom Like Sons when he came off the sidelines April 21 in the six-furlong Woodstock Stakes. Two weeks later, he had a five-wide journey and ended up third in the seven-furlong Queenston Stakes.

Trainer Bob Tiller said he passed the Plate after Dancer's Bajan's flat effort in the 1 1/8-mile Trial.

"I just don't think he's a mile and a quarter horse carrying 126 pounds," Tiller said. "He's not a big, robust, strong horse. I was worried that if we ran him a mile and a quarter, that we'd knock him out."

The turnback in distance on Saturday won't be easy for Dancer's Bajan, Tiller believes.

"It's always difficult for a horse to go from a mile and an eighth to six furlongs," he said. "I would have preferred seven."

Tiller also entered Spread the News, who ran sixth last out after encountering traffic in his first turf attempt, in the Bold Ruckus Stakes.

"He had a horrendous trip," Tiller said. "He was bent in half after a quarter of a mile. Apparently, he was lugging in a little bit. He didn't seem to take kindly to the turf."

Legal Move won the six-furlong Bold Ruckus in his only start this year and will be strongly backed Saturday.

He won his maiden fourth time out at 2 last year, in the restricted Simcoe Stakes. He then won the Bull Page Stakes over Dancer's Bajan before narrowly losing in the Frost King.

In his final 2-year-old appearance, Legal Move set a slow pace in the Kingarvie before weakening in deep stretch and finishing third.

"He had surgery after his last [2-year-old] race," said trainer Mark Casse. "We took a little chip out of his ankle and his knee, I believe."

Three of the nine Achievement runners were supplemented - Red Raffles, Backgammon, and Quidly Quest.