Maiden winners look best

WINNIPEG, Manitoba The lack of a multiple winner makes Saturday's $45,000 R.C. Anderson Stakes for Manitoba-bred 3-year-old fillies at Assiniboia Downs a wide-open affair.

Pinotage and April's No Fool each won her maiden last time out. Pinotage was dropped to maiden claimers for the first time this season by trainer Carl Anderson and scored a three-quarter-length victory. Pinotage was second in the restricted Buffalo Stakes last season behind the colt Sir Officer at Saturday's one-mile distance.

April's No Fool defeated $5,000 Manitoba-bred maiden claimers in her last outing. April's No Fool will try a route of ground for the first time here.

Jason Leacock will ride April's No Fool for trainer Chad Torevell, as Rohan Singh moves over to Smart Miss.

Smart Miss won the restricted North Dakota Stallion stakes last season and was second in the restricted Frank Arnason Sire Stakes and third in the Buffalo Stakes. Trained by Lorna Gray, Smart Miss has two third-place finishes from four starts this year, all against first-level allowance company.

Shooting Astra, who was claimed out of Oaklawn Park for $25,000 in February by owner Larry Carter, has failed to do much in three starts here. Redna beat maiden claimers three starts ago, and has shown little in two subsequent starts.

Also entered are maidens I'm Eye N You, Flash Fire, and Easters Lily. Nasty Millie, the dam of Easters Lily, won the 2001 R.C. Anderson in the final start of her career.