Delaforce picks up pieces in Kingarvie

Delaforce ($10.10) held off favored Lady's First Cat on Saturday to capture Woodbine's $125,000 Kingarvie Stakes, an Ontario-sired event for 2-year-olds that was ruined by the prerace antics of Grazettes Landing.

Grazettes Landing reared up in the gate, and his legs came over the side of the stall and onto the prerace favorite, Stuck in Traffic. Grazettes Landing and Stuck in Traffic were both scratched, along with Dancingall Theway, reducing the field to five.

Promising Dancer set a tepid pace in the 1 1/16-mile route. Delaforce awaited room on the far turn and hit the front at the eighth pole before scoring by a neck, while covering the distance in 1:46.44.

"My horse was fractious behind the gate, too," said Jono Jones, who rode Delaforce. "The fractions were a little slow, but I had a perfect trip. It was just a question of getting the room, because I had plenty of horse."

Delaforce saved the day for his trainer, Nick Gonzalez, who also trains Stuck in Traffic. In his stakes debut, Delaforce banked $75,000 for owners Ken Parsley and Rick Pettifer.