Lemon Maid relishes sloppy going

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Fair Grounds shipper Lemon Maid ($3.90) blew away a good field of 3-year-old fillies Sunday at Woodbine in the $141,450 .

Lemon Maid, ridden by Todd Kabel for trainer Malcolm Pierce, led through fractions of :22.66 and :46.43 seconds while being pressed by Hatpin. Gold Strike made a four-wide bid on the turn, but Lemon Maid had plenty left for the stretch run, and drew off in the final furlong to win by 3 1/4 lengths over Gold Strike.

Hatpin held on for third in the eight-horse field, from which the morning line favorite, Carlea, was scratched. The final time for six furlongs over a sloppy track was 1:10.60.

"Malcolm told me she's a very nice filly, and to ride her with confidence," Kabel said. "When I called on her at the quarter pole, she just exploded."

Lemon Maid, who got a 91 Beyer Figure when she won her only other start in February, earned $83,250 for Live Oak Plantation.