Queen City a no-contest

A malfunction that left half the field momentarily stranded in the starting gate while the other six horses broke cleanly forced River Downs to declare its $100,000 stakes feature "no contest" on Saturday.

All wagers on the Queen City Oaks were refunded after the stewards conducted an inquiry, and no purse money was paid out.

Twelve 3-year-old fillies were loaded into the gate, but when the starter pressed the button, the horses in the five inside gates and the one in the far outside stall, were unable to break with the rest of the field as their gates opened a second or two late. One of the trapped fillies, Money Card, hit the closed gate and fell.

The race was easily won by Cryptoquip, the 4-5 favorite who started from post 8. She finished 11 3/4 lengths in front of Stone Lakes.