Simply Splendid holds on in Nassau

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Simply Splendid ($15.80) gamely held off a charging Miss Keller to take the at Woodbine on Saturday.

Chantal Sutherland rode Simply Splendid, who stalked front-running Points of Grace through moderate fractions in the one-mile turf event for fillies and mares.

Simply Splendid hit the front early in the stretch and then repelled a late bid from Miss Keller before scoring by a half-length, in a time of 1:34.23, over a course labeled good. Favored Rainbow View finished third in a field reduced to six with the scratch of Missit.

Simply Splendid banked $180,000 for the partnership of John Menary and trainer Gail Cox.

"Chantal and I had discussed that there was no pace, and felt that we should just let her run her race," Cox said. "She was laying closer [than usual], but they were going slow. I was concerned, but she's pretty amazing."

* Southdale ($8.40) defeated a quality field while notching his first stakes in Saturday's supporting feature, the .

With Emma Wilson riding for trainer Ian Black, Southdale covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.77. Stunning Stag finished three-quarters of a length back in second, and Fatal Bullet faded to third after setting slow fractions in the Grade 3 event.