A Bit O'Gold locks up Sovereign Award

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A Bit O'Gold probably locked up the Sovereign Award as this year's champion 3-year-old with a daylight score over Organ Grinder in Sunday's $160,050 at Woodbine.

Alleged Ruler and Shanghied dueled through tepid fractions in the nine-furlong test for 3-year-olds, as both A Bit O'Gold and Organ Grinder assumed a wide stalking position.

A Bit O'Gold circled four paths wide on the far turn, and hit the front at the top of the stretch before holding off Organ Grinder for a length and a quarter victory. Alleged Ruler finished another length back in third in the five-horse field. The final time was 1:53.18 seconds.

"I was very confident," said Jono Jones, who rode A Bit O'Gold. "He's a very good horse."

A Bit O'Gold ($3.40) banked $96,030 for The Two Bit Racing Stable and trainer Catherine Day Phillips.

* Mona Rose ($5.90) made her first start on Lasix a winning one in Sunday's supporting feature, the $104,000 Belle Geste Stakes. With Eurico Rosa da Silva riding for trainer Earl Barnett, Mona Rose ran a mile and an eighth on the turf in 1:48.10 seconds.