Then She Laughs, Ciresa, Elliott upset Miss Woodford

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Trainer Martin Ciresa and jockey Stewart Elliott didn't land the big prize over the weekend at Monmouth Park as Presidentialaffair ran second to Ghostzapper in the Grade 3, $200,000 Philip H. Iselin Handicap on Saturday.

They brushed off the disappointment Sunday with an upset score in the $60,000 Miss Woodford Stakes with Then She Laughs.

Absolute Nectar set the pace in the six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies with Then She Laughs tracking in second. Then She Laughs ($14.40) took charge in upper stretch and held off the late run from Forty Moves by 2 1-4 lengths.

"It usually takes two or three strides before she gets rolling," said Elliott. "Today we were right up on the pace the whole way. I asked her for run turning for home and she took off."

The New York-bred Then She Laughs posted her fourth win in 10 career starts as she stopped the clock in 1:10.03.

Absolute Nectar was third with Frenchglen, the 6/5 favorite, fourth.

Speedy Deedy wins Junior Champion

Speedy Deedy ($7.60) rallied past By Grace Alone in mid stretch to win the off-the-turf $55,000 Junior Champion Stakes for 2-year-old fillies by 3 1/2 lengths.

Speedy Deedy ran the one-mile in 1:41.70 with Julian Pimentel riding for trainer Graham Motion.

Speedy Deedy captured her second straight one-mile race at Monmouth.

"I thought she ran a really improved race today," said Motion. "She was very aggressive. The last time Julian had to ride her every step of the way. Today, she put him right in the race and he gave her a super ride."

Northern Babe was third.