Seven wins by Welch set record

EDMONTON, Alberta - Quincy Welch, the Alberta circuit's leading rider the past two years, rewrote the record book with seven victories at Northlands Saturday.

His winners included Vancouver invader Overact, whom he guided to a 2 1/4-length victory over stablemate Socorro County in the $100,000 Sonoma Handicap for 3-year-old fillies.

Welch, a 25-year-old Barbadian, downplayed his sensational afternoon, which eclipsed the previous Northlands record of six wins on a card, shared by Ron Hansen, Perry Winters, and Emil Roy.

Welch said he was just a passenger aboard Overact.

"She was the best filly in the race, by far," he said.

Sounce a Silence, the top Alberta-based finisher, was beaten a total of 11 lengths and came in third in the 1 1/16-mile Sonoma.

The two invaders, trained by Dave Forster, banked $83,000 between them. Overact was the 3-1 second favorite behind the British Columbia-bred Socorro County, who was bet down to 11-10.

"Going into the card, I figured on being happy just winning one race," said Welch, who leads the jockey standings. His compatriot, Rickey Walcott, is next in line.

* The weekend also saw Sweet Monarch return to her Alberta championship form of 2002 by winning Friday's $40,000 Madamoiselle by a length in a $17.10 upset over odds-on choice A Shaky Start. Walcott rode the winner, his fourth of the evening.