Woodbine: Quick Blue all the way

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Monmouth Park shipper Quick Blue ($10.30) led all the way to take the Grade 3, $164,550 Royal North Handicap for fillies and mares at Woodbine.

Quick Blue, who won the 2001 Bison City Stakes at Fort Erie, recorded splits of 22.56 seconds and 45.53 in the six-furlong turf dash. Mysterious Affair and Leading Roll tracked the pace, but Quick Blue drew clear in the final furlong to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Mysterious Affair.

"Our game plan was to try to get to the lead," said Emile Ramsammy, who rode Quick Blue. "We got the trip we wanted."

Marisa Go rallied to finish another neck back in third, while favored Automated was a non-threatening fifth in the six-horse field. The final time was 1:09.53.

Linda Rice trains Quick Blue, who earned $98,730 for the Joseph Lacombe Stable.

* Favored Extend set slow fractions under David Clark and held off a closing Catch the Ring to capture Saturday's other stakes, the $105,000 Belle Mahone.