Soaring Free coasts in Highlander Handicap

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Soaring Free ($2.90) shook loose on the lead and then coasted to an easy victory in the Grade 3, $219,000 , one of two supporting stakes on Sunday's Queen's Plate card at Woodbine.

Soaring Free set relatively slow fractions of :22.73 seconds and :45.62 in the six-furlong turf dash. He opened up a daylight lead at the eighth pole, and went on to prevail by 2 1/4 lengths under Todd Kabel.

Open Concert rallied wide to end up second, while U.S. shipper Take Achance On Me edged Waltzin' Storm for third in the seven-horse field. The final time was 1:08.72 seconds.

Soaring Free, the 2003 Sovereign Award-winning champion sprinter, earned $131,400 for Sam-Son Farm and trainer Mark Frostad. His only loss in six starts over Woodbine's E.P. Taylor turf course was a second-place finish in last year's Grade 1 Atto Mile.

* Dalavin ($15.60) came wide at the top of the stretch before drawing off for a six-length triumph over Burst of Fire in Sunday's other stakes, the $108,000 Charlie Barley for 3-year-olds.

Dalavin ran a mile on the grass in 1:33.02 under Patrick Husbands. In notching his stakes debut, he banked $64,800 for trainer Audre Cappuccitti, who owns the gelding in partnership with Gordon Cappuccitti.