Assiniboia: Lord Kipling by a nose

Lord Kipling, invading from Canterbury Park, rallied strongly in deep stretch and posted a nose victory over favored The Max in the $100,000 Manitoba Lotteries Derby at Assiniboia Downs.

Trained by Amber Blair and ridden by Scott Stevens, Lord Kipling returned $10.70 as the second choice while making his first start at Assiniboia.

"He relaxed real well the first part; that was our only concern," said Stevens. "And, he finished real well."

The Max, who had been an impressive winner of the Derby Trial in his local debut, slipped through on the rail entering the stretch and seemed headed for victory under jockey Paul Leacock until Lord Kipling came calling.

Quick Witted finished third in the field of eight 3-year-olds. The final time for the 1 1/8-mile race was 1:53.40.

In the other three stakes on the card:

* Hey Hey Renee ($3.20) had to turn back a spirited bid by Glory Bea Trix before prevailing by a neck in the $40,000 Jack Hardy, a one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies.

* First Cavalry ($10.30), making his local debut after beginning his career at Woodbine, assumed command at the outset and charged to a three-quarter-length victory under jockey Alan Cuthbertston in the $40,000 Winnipeg Futurity.

* Cuthbertston struck again one race later with 9-year-old Elite Mercedes ($3.70), who stalked the pace of front-running longshot Northern Affair and then held off furious charges from Resurgent and Full Moon Madness to win the $40,000 Wheat City by three-quarters of a length.