Legend Fortynine tries to regroup in Sales Stakes

Legend Fortynine will try to get back on track when he runs in the $50,000 Three and Four Year Old Sales Stakes on Wednesday at Northlands Park. The 4-year-old gelding should be a slight favorite over Capitalism, who was the champion 2-year-old male in Alberta last year. Trained by Greg Tracy, Capitalism is making his first start of the year in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint, which drew seven horses.

The fillies’ division of the Three and Four Year Old Sales Stakes also drew seven horses, and the Tracy-trained Queenoftheforest will be a short-priced favorite as she goes for her third straight win.

Trained by Dale Saunders, Legend Fortynine was the champion 2-year-old male in Alberta in 2013 when he won three stakes, including the one-mile Canadian Juvenile.

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It looked like Legend Fortynine was going to be a serious contender for the Grade 3, $200,000 Canadian Derby when he won the $55,940 Ky Alta last year in his third start as a 3-year-old. However, he didn’t race again until he returned in a $35,000 optional-claiming race at Northlands on May 23 this year. He finished fourth in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint and then finished seventh when he stretched out to a mile in the $51,350 Spangled Jimmy on June 13.

Legend Fortynine is facing substantially easier company in the Sales Stakes, which is restricted to horses foaled in Canada that were presented for sale and had all the commission paid in a Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society sale.

Scott Williams rides Legend Fortynine.

Capitalism also won three stakes as a 2-year-old, including the Canadian Juvenile. Tracy is looking at the Sales Stakes as a race to get him started.

“He’s behind the other 3-year-olds here,” said Tracy. “He kicked something in January and hurt his hock. It shouldn’t have been a big deal, but the joint got infected and it just turned into a nightmare. He is doing great now, but I wouldn’t be totally surprised if he came up a bit short.”

Queenoftheforest will not come up short in the fillies division. She is coming off two easy wins, and the 69 Beyer Speed Figure she earned in her 7 1/2-length romp in a first-level allowance race for fillies and mares on June 3 is the top figure in the field.

Almost Ninety looks like the main threat. Trained by Jerri Robertson, Almost Ninety is coming off a third in the R.K. “Red” Smith Handicap on June 19.