Miss Missile looks solid at Assiniboia

Miss Missile, who blew away her field in the prep, is strictly the one to beat when she swings back in the La Verendrye at Assiniboia Downs on Wednesday evening. A field of eight will go postward in the $30,000 La Verendrye, a six-furlong race for fillies and mares.

Miss Missile, a Kentucky-bred who is owned and trained by Charlie Smith, was a 9 1/2-length winner of the 5 1/2-furlong prep on May 23. That win was the sixth in as many Assiniboia starts for Miss Missile, who was the Manitoba Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association's champion 3-year-old filly last year. Rohan Singh retains the mount on Miss Missile, who will begin from post 5.

Polynesian Kitty, the HPBA's champion older mare in Manitoba last year, runs as the defending champion in the La Verendrye, but was unable to handle Miss Missile when they met in the one-mile Canada Day or in the prep. She was beaten 11 1/2 lengths in the prep, her first start in eight months. Miss Missile had a couple of 2009 wins under her belt in Nebraska.

If speed-oriented rivals such as Preservata, Cherokee Beauty, and Alacazar can force Miss Missile to overextend herself early, then Polynesian Kitty could prove a mild upsetter. Leading rider Alan Cuthbertson has the call on Polynesian Kitty, who is based in Winnipeg with Ardell Sayler.

Britannia Road was the runner-up in the prep and again will be ridden by Tim Gardiner.

* Monsoon Rain won Round 2 of the battle of Manitoba champions on Saturday night, defeating Rock'n U S A and Mr Exspeedient in the $30,000 Free Press.

Rock'n U S A, the top sprinter in the province, had won the five-furlong prep, but third-place finisher Moonsoon Rain, horse of the year and champion older horse last year, turned the tables in the six-furlong Free Press with a 1 1/4-length victory.

Mr Expeedient, last year's top 3-year-old, was fourth in the Free Press.

Monsoon Rain, trained by Chad Torevell and ridden by Carlos Marquez, returned $9.80.