Dancing Allstar vs. Shilla

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Shilla, who ran her winning streak to three with an eye-catching victory in the six-furlong Fanfreluche here Oct. 27, will be looking to prolong her time in the spotlight in Sunday's $125,000 Glorious Song.

But waiting in the wings will be Dancing Allstar, who showed plenty of promise here earlier this year and is returning after registering three emphatic stakes victories at her home base of Hastings.

The Glorious Song, a seven-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies that attracted a field of seven, will share top billing on a card that includes the $125,000 Kennedy Road.

Shilla, owned and bred by Brian Cullen and trained by Nick Gonzalez, finished third in her five-furlong debut here Aug. 16 and has yet to lose since.

"In her five-furlong race, she broke bad, but it was actually a great learning experience for her," said Gonzalez.

Shilla graduated over six furlongs of turf in her next outing and then defeated males in a first-level allowance at seven furlongs before her 2 1/2-length score in the Fanfreluche.

Shilla broke from post 1 in the Fanfreluche and drew the rail again here. David Clark, aboard for her three victories, retains the mount.

Dancing Allstar, a British Columbia-bred who is owned by Bob Cheema and trained by Terry Jordan, won her maiden over 3 1/2 furlongs at Hastings on May 6 and then burst onto the scene here with a romping 6 3/4-length win in the five-furlong My Dear on July 2.

But in two subsequent appearances here, Dancing Allstar opened up into the stretch and was nailed on the wire to end second in both the Colin and Ontario Debutante.

Both the Colin and Ontario Debutante were six-furlong races, and Dancing Allstar was facing males in the Colin.

While Dancing Allstar won two stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs in Vancouver and successfully handled 1 1/16 miles in her latest, the skeptics will be out in full force when she tries seven furlongs here in the Glorious Song.

"I think she'll handle it," said Jordan.