Miss Katie Mae scores as favorite in Alywow

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — The favored Maryland shipper Miss Katie Mae outran Princess Princess in the final furlong to take the $102,600 Alywow Stakes on Sunday’s Woodbine Oaks undercard.

Miss Katie Mae ($4.50) saved ground on the turn in midpack under Javier Castellano, as R Girls a Charmer set moderate fractions in the 6 1/2-furlong turf sprint.

A stalking Conquest City Girl hit the front in midstretch, before being overtaken by the closers, and Miss Katie Mae prevailed by three-quarters of a length over Princess Princess, in a final time of 1:16.10 over firm ground. Conquest City Girl wound up third in the eight-horse field of 3-year-old fillies.

“I’m surprised that she broke on top,” said Castellano. “She’s supposed to come from way back. I had to use my patience, and try to cover her up the best I could, and keep track of the [other] horses. Turning for home, I angled out a little bit, and put her outside to find the last kick.”

Miss Katie Mae, a European import trained by Graham Motion, earned $60,000 in her first stakes success for owners Bill Crager and Paul Hondros.