Odds-on Will O Way dominates Corte Madera

ALBANY, Calif. - Will O Way ($2.80), heavily favored after chasing likely Eclipse winner Stardom Bound in a pair of Grade 1 races, captured the $75,000 Corte Madera Stakes on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields in the easiest of fashions.

"What a nice horse," winning jockey Russell Baze said after the 5 1/2-length victory in the one-mile race for 2-year-old fillies. The winning time was 1:37.90.

"I had a lot of horse the whole way, and I had a lot of horse left," Baze said. "She did it very easy. She's kinda tiny, but she feels like a big horse when she starts running."

Will O Way, called "the real deal" by trainer Vladimir Cerin, was a comfortable third down the backstretch behind Epitome of a Lady and Salty Sarah. She made a quick three-wide turn and quickly raced past the two leaders, who wound up last and next-to-last in the field of six.

The winner, a daughter of Broken Vow, was never challenged. Stakes-winning Cherokee Echo ran second with Digestivo third another two lengths back.

Digestivo was ridden by Leslie Mawing, substituting for Frank Alvarado, who suffered a mild concussion, neck sprain, and lower back sprain when his mount, Karaoke Jeannie, fractured a leg and fell in the stretch of the third race. Karaoke Jeannie was euthanized. Jockey Roberto Gonzalez and Corcina tripped over Karaoke Jeannie, but Corcina appeared to escape injury, and Gonzalez took one race off before riding the remainder of the card, including Cherokee Echo in the feature.

Will O Way earned $45,000 for her first stakes victory for Ronald Waranch and Holly and David Wilson, nearly doubling her career earnings to $90,500 with her second victory in five starts.