Hastings: Longshot Classic Alley Kat goes wire to wire in Brighouse Belles

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Classic Alley Kat ($21.40) broke on top from the rail and never looked back while cruising to a 5 3/4-length win in the $50,000 Brighouse Belles for fillies and mares at Hastings on Saturday. With longshot Notoriously holdling off second choice Wind Storm for second, the trifecta paid $2,768.80.

With Keveh Nicholls aboard, Classic Alley Kat set rapid fractions of 21.69 and 44.43 seconds under pressure from Cry Cry Cry and Notis her. She opened up on the field going around the second turn and was never threatened after taking a four-length advantage heading into the stretch. Final time for the race was 1:16.01.

It was the first stakes win for trainer Elizabeth Stolzenberg.

“I thought if she could get an easy lead she would be alright,” said Stolzenberg. “She has a bad attitude but if she gets things her own way she’s okay.”

“She broke good and then improved her position,” said Nicholls. “She was going fast but she relaxed a little going down the backstretch and she had plenty left in the stretch run.”

Kimmyv, sent off as the 9-5 favorite in the nine-horse field, was up close early before fading to sixth.