Milwaukee Appeal kicks home in Oaks

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Milwaukee Appeal ($11.20) put away a troubled Tasty Temptation in the stretch en route to a decisive score in Sunday's $503,200 Woodbine Oaks, the first leg of the Canadian triple tiara.

Milwaukee Appeal broke alertly in the nine-furlong event, as Tasty Temptation hesitated from post 12, and gave the field a five-length head start.

Koonunga Hill set quick fractions of 23.73 seconds and 48.01, while Milwaukee Appeal stalked in second until the far turn. Tasty Temptation made a big wide move approaching the three-eighths pole and then hit the front briefly on the far turn, but Milwaukee Appeal dug in and kicked away in the stretch to prevail by 3 3/4 lengths.

Miss Blakely rallied belatedly to nose out another U.S. invader, favored Wynning Ride, for third in the 13-horse field of Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.

Toronto native Stewart Elliott said he had smooth sailing aboard the Scott Fairlie-trained Milwaukee Appeal.

"Mr. Fairlie told me that she's easy to ride," said Elliott. "She lays close, and she'll do whatever you want. The way she came out of there, I thought we were going to be in front, but she settled, rated, and finished great."

The final time of 1:49.84 was tied for fourth-fastest in the 54 runnings of the Oaks.

"She's continued to improve," said Fairlie, who ran her twice in maiden claiming races at 2. "I think Stewart rode a hell of a race. He left the filly alone, and when Tasty Temptation came up beside her, she kicked on."

Milwaukee Appeal banked $300,000 for C E C Farm, boosting her bankroll to $649,938.

Patrick Husbands said his mount, Tasty Temptation, lost her focus at the start.

"She's always a classy filly, but it was the wrong day," said Husbands. "She went into the gate, and she was good. Just before [the gate opened], she went up in the air."

Awesome Rhythm rolls in Victoria Park

Awesome Rhythm ($2.80) notched his third consecutive stakes in Sunday's $151,350 Victoria Park for 3-year-olds.

Awesome Rhythm stalked a sleepy pace on the outside in the four-horse field, before taking control just inside the quarter pole. He drew off in the stretch to win by 8 1/2 lengths, completing the nine-furlong distance in 1:51.12. Counter Move finished second, and Life Goes On wound up third.

Jim McAleney rode Awesome Rhythm, who banked $94,500 for owner Domenic Triumbari and trainer John Ross.

"He's a talented horse who's right on top of his game," said McAleney.

* Woodsmoke ($9.20) won Sunday's other stakes, the $112,700 Alywow for 3-year-old fillies, by a nose over favored Pull Dancer. With Tyler Pizarro riding for trainer Mike Keogh, Woodsmoke ran 6 1/2 furlongs on the grass in 1:15.44.