Quite a Bride strong at finish of Pebbles

ELMONT, N.Y. - Quite a Bride went unchallenged on the lead early then demonstrated a strong closing kick in the final quarter of a mile to win the $110,000 by two lengths before a Columbus Day crowd of 5,698 at Belmont Park.

Ready to Please, making her turf debut, finished second, five lengths ahead of Calla Lily.

It was the fifth win from seven turf starts for Quite a Bride, a 3-year-old daughter of Stormy Atlantic owned by Haras Santa Marias de Araras and trained by Bill Mott. It was also the third stakes win for Quite a Bride, who won the Grade 3 Boiling Springs and ungraded Trenton Stakes earlier in the year.

Monday, under Cornelio Velasquez, Quite a Bride set fractions of 23.65 seconds and 46.50 while being stalked by Sugar Swirl. Ready to Please, who saved ground from the inside moved to the outside to challenge Quite a Bride after six furlongs went in 1:10.56. But Quite a Bride had plenty left and ran a closing quarter in 23.00 seconds to get the win. She covered the mile in 1:33.56 and returned $5.90 as the favorite.

* In the $67,000 North Broadway Stakes, Wait It Out rallied powerfully under Jean-Luc Samyn to win by two lengths over Cologne. It was Samyn's first win since he returned from a fractured collarbone and broken pelvis he suffered in a spill during training hours at Saratoga on Aug. 8. He returned from that injury on Oct .4.

Wait It Out, a daughter of Swain owned by Buona Fortuna Stable and trained by Heriberto Cedano, covered the 1 3/-8 miles in 2:15.43 and returned $11.40 to win.

* Also Monday, jockey Diane Nelson registered her first win of the year, guiding Grand Cayman ($14.60) to victory in Monday's second. Nelson missed most of the year due to multiple back surgeries, limiting her to 13 mounts.