Officeinthevalley takes to turf in Vice Regent

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Officeinthevalley put away two rivals on the lead and kept on going to notch his first stakes win in his turf debut Sunday at Woodbine in the $125,800 Vice Regent.

Officeinthevalley dueled with Iwillgotothemoon and Sir Andrew through quick fractions in the one-mile event for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds. He began to draw off in the final sixteenth, and got home on top by 2 1/4 lengths over favored Mobil Unit in 1:35.86. He paid $15.60.

Iwillgotothemoon faded to third, and Sir Andrew wound up fourth in a field reduced to seven with the scratches of Mobthewarrior and Race for Gold were scratched.

Richard Dos Ramos rode Officeinthevalley, who collected $75,000 for owner/trainer Paul Buttigieg.

“On the middle of the turn, I saw [Mobil Unit] coming,” said Dos Ramos. “I waited until we straightened up, and then we kicked on. When I asked him, he accelerated, and I knew it would take a pretty good one from there to beat us.”

* Glitter Rox parlayed an outside stalking trip into a three-quarter-length score over pacemaker Woolly Bear in Sunday’s supporting feature, the $116,000 Avowal Stakes. The Ian Black-trained Glitter Rox covered seven furlongs on the grass in 1:23.29 under jockey Gerry Olguin and paid $29.70.