High Button Shoes takes Hendrie

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - High Button Shoes ($6.80) parlayed a perfect stalking trip into a decisive victory Sunday at Woodbine in the $152,000 Hendrie Stakes, a six and a half-furlong dash for fillies and mares.

It was the first stakes score for High Button Shoes, who tracked the leaders from a three-wide position after breaking from post 9 in the 10-horse field. She hit the front at the top of the stretch, and then drew off to prevail by three and a half lengths, in a final time of 1:17.38 seconds.

"We had a good post, and she has natural speed," said Todd Kabel, who was winning the Hendrie for the fourth time aboard High Button Shoes. "I was able to sit there and call on her as soon as I had to."

The 2-1 favorite, Gold Strike, Canada's reigning champion 3-year-old, rallied wide for second in her first outing since her third-place finish in the June 26 Queen's Plate. Miss Concerto was another nose back in third, and New York shipper Great Intentions faded to fourth after setting a moderate pace.

High Button Shoes, a daughter of Carson City, banked $90,000 for Sam-Son Farm and trainer Mark Frostad.