Nessarose gets revenge in Oaks

EDMONTON, Alberta - When Nessarose won the Northlands Oaks last weekend, her effort was reminiscent of her second-place finish against males here in last fall's Canadian Juvenile. Nessarose made a late charge from last place in the 1 1/16-mile Juvenile, but came up a half-length short of Poor Iggy.

The Juvenile was her last race of 2004, and when Nessarose returned this spring, her trainer, Greg Tracy, sent her to Woodbine, where she tired in a turf allowance. Nessarose returned to Alberta for the Penny Ridge, a stakes that was transplanted to Northlands after the final day was flooded out at Stampede Park. Nessarose also raced strongly through the stretch there, but had to settle for third behind Wild Bender and Speedy Gone Sally, beaten a length.

In the Northlands Oaks, she gained revenge against both Wild Bender and Speedy Gone Sally with a one-length score. Speedy Gone Sally wound up second and Kathern's Cat finished third, 7 1/2 lengths behind the winner. Wild Bender was fourth, while the even-money favorite, Avenging Kat, finished fifth.

* The Oaks was the final prep for the $100,000 Alberta Centennial, formerly known as the Sonoma but renamed to celebrate this province's first 100 years. The 1 1/16-mile Alberta Centennial will be run Aug. 13, and the only other remaining open stakes for 3-year-old fillies will be the Chariot Chaser, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint on Oct. 14.