Great Addiction gets more ground in Fan's Cup

Great Addiction, who ran out of real estate when a closing third in Fort Erie's six-furlong Don Valliere Memorial Cup on July 26, gets to stretch his legs there for Sunday's 1 1/16-mile Fan's Cup and should be along in time.

The $28,750 Fan's Cup, for 3-year-olds and up who have started at least twice at the current Fort Erie meeting, attracted a field of eight.

Great Addiction, a 7-year-old gelding trained by Armand Concessi, has captured a pair of 1 1/16-mile open allowance races at Fort Erie this year on fast and muddy tracks.

Rui Pimentel, the runaway leading rider at the meeting, retains the mount.

Also back from the Valliere Memorial, which was won by subsequent repeater Spread the News, are runner-up Break Even and fourth-place finisher Judiths Wild Rush.

Break Even ended a neck before Great Addiction in a rallying effort but was well beaten by that rival in an earlier two-turn encounter.

Judiths Wild Rush also closed last time to be beaten just 1 1/2 lengths. A two-time Canadian sprint champion, the 8-year-old horse has seen far better days.

Woodbine-based Ray Sabourin picks up the mount on Judiths Wild Rush, who should display a forward style as he moves back out around two turns.

Speed-oriented Cold War and Frezacon, stalker Smiling Jordan, and closers Belfast Dancer and Hennesy Moon complete the mix for the Fan's Cup, which will go as the seventh of eight races on the program.

Pinto wins first without a bug

Melanie Pinto won her first race since losing her apprenticeship when she piloted Spread the News to victory in a starter allowance Monday at Fort Erie.

And Pinto seemed to have another win under her belt later that day after guiding Starfromafar to a first-place finish in the $28,750 Mike Anderson Memorial Cup.

The stewards, however, ruled that Starfromafar had interfered with Montana Rose shortly after the break and placed her seventh in the field of nine. Pinto was held blameless and did not receive a suspension.

In the meantime, Frivolette benefited from the disqualification and was the official winner of the Anderson Memorial for trainer Jim Smith.

Frivolette was one of 11 winners on the Sunday through Tuesday cards for Pimentel, boosting his total for the meeting to 69.

Pinto stands second with 31 victories, and Anthony Stephen is third with 24.

Bent Attorney set for Rainbow Connection

Bent Attorney is looming as the horse to beat in next Sunday's $125,000 Rainbow Connection, which will be the last of four stakes races contested at the Fort Erie meeting.

The Rainbow Connection, a five-furlong turf race for Ontario-sired fillies and mares, attracted 16 nominees.

Bent Attorney, based at Woodbine with trainer Don MacRae, ran down the talented Dancing Allstar to win Fort Erie's $50,000 Ernie Samuel Memorial, a five-furlong turf race for Canadian-bred fillies and mares, in her last start July 12.

Stewart Elliott rode Bent Attorney that day, but Tyler Pizarro has the call for the Rainbow Connection.

Anne's Purse and Edamame, also based at Woodbine, also are leading contenders for the Rainbow Connection.

Trained by Earl Barnett, Anne's Purse won the Lady Angela on Woodbine's Polytrack and placed in a restricted turf stakes last year. Jockey Gerry Olguin has been recruited for the Fort Erie visit.

Edamame, trained by Malcolm Pierce, will be making her turf debut after winning three straight allowance sprints on Woodbine's Polytrack.