Legal Move vs. Dancer's Bajan – maybe

ETOBICOKE, Ontario Legal Move and Dancers Bajan, the two most accomplished participants on Mondays yearling sales stakes program, may end up in the same race.

Or, they may not.

Legal Move and Dancers Bajan both have been entered in the Kenora, the six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and upward that is one of six $125,000 stakes for horses who went through the ring at local yearling sales. Dancers Bajan is cross-entered in the Elgin, the 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds and upward.

Also are on tap for the Labor Day card are the Halton, a one-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and upward; the 1 1/16-mile Algoma, for fillies and mares; the seven-furlong Muskoka, for 2-year-old fillies; and the seven-furlong Simcoe, for 2-year-old colts and geldings.

The stakes are a running advertisement for the annual Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Societys yearling sales. The select session will be conducted here Tuesday and the preferred session on Saturday, both beginning at 3 p.m.

The trainers of Mondays winners will receive a $10,000 credit for the sales, with the proviso that the winner cannot have been claimed.

Legal Move, a 4-year-old colt, has won five stakes and $699,849 for owner Bill Farish Jr. and trainer Mark Casse. Although he won his maiden in the Simcoe, which was run that year at 6 1/2 furlongs, Legal Move has recorded six of his subsequent victories at six furlongs and one at 5 1/2 furlongs.

In his last start, which came in the open 6 1/2-furlong Bold Venture here July 20, Legal Move finished a rather flat fourth.

That might have been a little too far for him, said Casse. Maybe six furlongs is his cup of tea.

He worked real nice the other day; hes doing good.

Dancers Bajan, a 4-year-old gelding owned by 3 Sons Racing Stable and trained by Bob Tiller, has won six stakes and $677,152 and holds a 4-3 edge in meetings with Legal Move, all prior to this season.

Dancers Bajan finished second in the Kenora last year, and he remains winless at six furlongs. He has won two Ontario-sired stakes this year, the Steady Growth over 1 1/16 miles and the 6 1/2-furlong Shepperton last time out with a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 102.

I think its a tough call, said Tiller, regarding which race he would choose with Dancers Bajan on Monday. Both scenarios look like they give us a fair chance. Im concerned that six furlongs is a little short, but its a small field. Theres two good horses inside him, and he could take a run at them.

And we have a good chance in the longer race, off his two distance races this year. It will be a game-day decision.

The Kenora and Elgin also attracted their respective defending champions in Lake Secret and Stonetown.

Lake Secret, a 6-year-old gelding trained by Vito Armata, has failed to find the range in six starts this season. Stonetown, a 5-year-old gelding, was claimed for $40,000 this June and has since won the Daryl Wells Sr. Memorial over five furlongs of turf at Fort Erie for trainer Noel Randall. He is cross-entered in the Halton.