Braetta's good trip tells story

CALGARY, Alberta - Desmond Bryan was a man on a mission at Stampede Park on Saturday aboard Braetta in the 1 1/16-mile Duchess of York.

"We should have won last time but we got blocked making our move," said Bryan, referring to the wild finish of the Ken Pearson Memorial at Stampede on May 22.

Braetta finished a neck behind Wild Bender that day, dead-heating for place with Stole One.

But Bryan made sure there were no traffic problems in the Duchess of York, placing Braetta just off the early pace, moving into command at the five-sixteenths pole, and cruising home a two-length winner.

A homebred by Brass Minister, Braetta earned $31,500 of the $50,000 purse and an additional $12,000 from the Alberta-bred bonus fund.

Wild Bender closed well for place but was never a threat to the winner. Vancouver invader Socorro County, who trailed in the seven-horse field through the first six furlongs, closed late for third.

On Sunday, Vancouver invader True Metropolitan won the $50,000 Herald Gold Plate with a well-judged ride by Quincy Welch.

True Metropolitan, second to Smudgeledo in the Teeworth Plate last time out, settled behind a quick early pace and rolled home a handy winner while running the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.60.

- Bell n' Gone and Teagues Fight worked five furlongs in tandem last Saturday, finishing on even terms in 1:00.00 in a tune-up for Saturday's $125,000 Alberta Derby.