Cherokee’s Goal beats elders at Assiniboia

Cherokee’s Goal, the only 3-year-old in the field of 10, scored a two-length victory in the the $72,500 Gold Cup at Assiniboia Downs on Saturday night.

With regular rider Juan Crawford in the irons, Cherokee’s Goal stalked the early pace of Brinello and Monsoon Rain in the 1 1/8-mile race and then took over nearing the eighth pole.

Vindgari rallied for second, three-quarters of a length before odds-on favorite Double Shuffle as Brinello faded to finish seventh and Monsoon Rain wound up last.

Cherokee’s Goal, a Kentucky-bred colt owned by Hy Road Stable and trained by Clayton Gray, returned $8.70 as the second choice and earned $44,370 to bring his seasonal total to $107,850.

* Little Widow Maker defeated Paris By Night in the $50,000 Winnipeg Futurity. Ridden by Rohan Singh and trained by Charlie Smith, Little Widow Maker prevailed by a neck in the one-mile test with Quick Caper another three-quarters of a length back as the third-place finisher in the field of six.

* Major Hurricane was the odds-on choice but was all out to prevail by a head in the $60,000 J.W. Sifton Stakes. Farm Hand, at 19-1, was second in the 1 1/8-mile stakes for Manitoba-bred 3-year-old colts and geldings with Applicant third in the field of nine.