Woodbine: Lexie Lou wins Muskoka; On Rainbow Bridge disqualified

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Lexie Lou won the $200,000 Muskoka Stakes on Wednesday night at Woodbine after the controversial disqualification of favored On Rainbow Bridge.

On Rainbow Bridge and Lexie Lou both came wide to link up on the lead early in the stretch of the 6 1/2-furlong dash for 2-year-old fillies. On Rainbow Bridge, under apprentice Skye Chernetz, gamely held off Lexie Lou while drifting out to prevail by a nose in 1:16.87.

Gary Boulanger, who rode Lexie Lou ($36.20) for owner/trainer John Ross, claimed foul on On Rainbow Bridge for interference in the stretch, and the stewards reversed the order of finish after a long inquiry.

“I was outside of Skye. She was locked in left-handed, and we were pretty tight,” Boulanger said. “The more I watched the replay, the more confident I was that they were taking her down.”

The Muskoka was one of six lucrative yearling sales on the card for graduates of local yearling sales:

* Welloiledmachine ($11.40) won the $125,400 Halton for the second year in a row under Jim McAleney. Trained by Mike Keogh, Welloiledmachine covered a mile over yielding turf in 1:37.51 after leading most of the way in a 2 3/4-length tally over 4-5 favorite Pender Harbour.

* Bear No Joke ($9.40) mowed down the out-of-control leader, 4-5 favorite Black Hornet, at the eighth pole to take the $125,000 Kenora by two lengths. Trained by Reade Baker, Bear No Joke ran six furlongs in 1:09 under Eurico Rosa Da Silva.

* Good Better Best ($5.10) outran the 4-5 favorite, Ultimate Destiny, in the stretch to capture the $125,000 Elgin by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:44.35 for the 1 1/16 miles. Luis Contreras rode the winner for trainer Roger Attfield.