Battle of top females resumes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - One for Rose versus Winning Chance, one of the best local rivalries over the past two seasons, will played out again here Sunday in the $125,625 Algoma Stakes.

The Algoma, a 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares, which attracted just four entrants, is one of the six yearling sales stakes for Canadian-breds that annually presage the September yearling sale here.

The selected session for this year's auction begins at 1 p.m. Tuesday, with the open sessions starting at 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

One for Rose, Canada's reigning champion filly or mare, emerged second best in her latest battle with Winning Chance, which came in the 1 1/16-mile Belle Mahone here July 18.

Winning Chance was facing One for Rose for the seventh time there, having finished second to her in their last five encounters.

One for Rose returned to trounce males in the 1 1/16-mile Seagram Cup here Aug. 7. "That race, beating the boys, I was impressed with her," said Sid Attard, who trains One for Rose for Tucci Stable. "I never thought she was going to beat Mark One."

The favorite and runner-up in the Seagram, Mark One is owned by Stronach Stable and trained by Danny Vella, the connections of Winning Chance.

Vella believes the seven weeks between starts will work to Winning Chance's advantage.

"She seems to enjoy more time," he said. "It takes her a little while to put her weight back on, and get 100 percent.

"I made a mistake bringing her back too quickly, in the spring," added Vella, who sent out Winning Chance to score impressively over 1 1/16 miles in her May 30 opener, but then watched her finish second to One for Rose in the June 20 Ontario Matron.

Vella also likes the fact that Winning Chance will be getting seven pounds from One for Rose, who will be the 122-pound highweight. One for Rose was conceding five pounds to Winning Chance in the Belle Mahone.

Tactics and racing luck could prove the difference. "If they both run their top races, it's a jock's race," said Vella, who will give a leg up to leading rider Todd Kabel.

Attard, meanwhile, is confident that Emile Ramsammy, who is One for Rose's regular rider, will be able to cope with any pace scenario.

"If she makes the lead easy, he can let her go," said Attard. "We won't let Winning Chance get away again."