Sand Cove wins third straight Woodbine stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario Sand Cove ($4.60) notched his third consecutive Woodbine stakes on Sunday in the $125,800 Bunty Lawless.

Sand Cove established modest fractions under Richard Dos Ramos in the one-mile test for Ontario-sired runners. He began to draw off at the three-sixteenths pole, and prevailed by 3 1/4 lengths over Gone Trajectory. Knights Cause was a stalking third in the seven-horse field.

It was the fourth victory in the Bunty Lawless for trainer Roger Attfield, who teamed up with Dos Ramos to take Saturdays Durham Cup Stakes with Palladio.

We were a little worried about no pace in the race, but Roger said to let him run his own race, said Dos Ramos. Turning for home, I knew it would take a pretty good horse to beat him.

Sand Cove ran the distance over a firm ground in 1:34.94, and earned $75,000 for owner Ralph Johnson.