Assiniboia: Weather Warning stuns

Weather Warning ($71), one of three horses in the race trained by Martin Drexler and owned by Stuart Hyman, led at every call for a shocking victory in Monday's $100,000 Manitoba Lotteries Derby at Assiniboia Downs.

Weather Warning, making his local debut and his first start for his new connections, cut out fractions of 23 seconds, 46.80, and 1:12 en route to a four-length victory in 1:52 for 1 1/8 miles.

"Once I hit the half-mile, I knew how much horse I had, and I thought I had a really good shot at winning," said winning jockey Paul Leacock.

Rage Till Dawn, winner of the Derby Trial, closed for second, with Great Discovery, another Drexler-Hyman runner, third in the field of 12. Ontario invader Angel of the House, the favorite, finished fourth.

Weather Warning was making his first start since July 25 and stretching out from six furlongs.

"I had no idea what to expect," said Drexler. "I wanted this horse on the lead. We went out there and tried to save a little bit."

In three $45,000 supporting features:

* Polynesian Kitty ($7.60), prominent throughout under Terry Houghton, surged clear in midstretch and held off Woodbine shipper Dance to My Tune in the one-mile Assiniboia Oaks.

Trained by Jamie Ness, Polynesian Kitty had shipped up from Canterbury to win the one-mile allowance prep on July 14.

* Locally based Arthurlooksgood, an impressive winner of the allowance prep on July 8, came right back in the one-mile Wheat City for 3-year-olds and upward.

Arthurlooksgood ($16), owned and trained by Clint Willson and ridden by Mark Anderson, held safe the rallying Otis Ridge, who edged Coast Line for second.

* Shippers dominated the Debutante as Miss Missile ($4.10) led throughout the 5 1/2-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies, with Rasierra rallying for second.

Miss Missile, owned and trained by Charles Smith, was ridden by Rohan Singh.