Ice Girl defends her home turf

EDMONTON, Alberta - Ice Girl, with jockey Desmond Bryan, broke the domination by Vancouver invaders in Alberta's filly and mare stakes this season by winning the 1 1/16-mile Madamoiselle in her latest start. Now Ice Girl will seek her fourth straight victory in Sunday's $75,000 Edmonton Distaff, a 1 1/16-mile race at Northlands that attracted a field of six.

Prior to the Madamoiselle, Ice Girl had scored consecutive front-running victories, with a $40,000 claiming tag and then in an optional claimer.

Meanwhile, Vancouver trainer David Forster will attempt to re-establish the superiority of the West Coast mares in Alberta by sending out an entry of Gold Accent and Socorro County in Sunday's feature.

Gold Accent has won the Duchess of York and the John Patrick Memorial in her previous Alberta sorties. Socorro County is coming off a 3 3/4-length victory in the restricted B.C. Distaff Cup at Hastings.

The home forces have to contend with another Vancouver invader as trainer Lance Giesbrecht sends out Victor's Secret, a 6-year-old who ran second to Socorro County in the B.C. Distaff.

Raylene, Alberta's 2002 horse of the year, will make her second Northlands start since returning from Woodbine. As a 1-2 favorite in her homecoming appearance, Raylene was runner-up to Ice Girl in the Madamoiselle.