Strike Softly ($14.30) overtook the 4-5 favorite, Mary Delaney, at the eighth pole and drew away to a decisive victory in the Grade 3, $186,700 Hendrie Stakes at Woodbine.
Strike Softly, ridden by Todd Kabel for trainer Mark Frostad, prevailed by four lengths in a quick final time of 1:16.20 for the 6 1/2-furlongs. Mary Delaney held on for second, finishing three-quarters of a length in front of a stalking Bosskiri.
In his first start since taking the Cormorant Stakes last Nov. 5 at Aqueduct, Red Zipper led virtually every step of the way under Eibar Coa to take the $113,100 Kingston Handicap for New York-breds at Belmont by a half-length.
Golden Commander, the 9-5 favorite who won this race in 2005, finished second by a neck over the 2006 Kingston winner, Dave.
Red Zipper, a son of City Zip owned by Jeffrey Tucker and trained by John Morrison, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.37 over good turf.
Racing on conventional dirt or synthetic tracks, Ashley's Kitten is unbeaten. Just do not expect much from her on turf.
Ashley's Kitten won her third race, and first stakes, in Sunday's $111,000 Railbird Stakes at Hollywood Park, a loss that erased the disappointment of a ninth-place finish in the Grade 3 Providencia Stakes on turf at Santa Anita last month.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Strike Softly's talent was not in question but her readiness was when she went postward in Sunday's $186,700 Hendrie here at Woodbine.
"I was uncertain whether she was dead fit," said Mark Frostad, who trains the homebred Strike Softly for Sam-Son Farm. "I was going to run her when we were at Keeneland, but she wasn't quite ready then."
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Jockey Tyler Baze, the nation's champion apprentice of 2000, said on Saturday that he is taking a break from riding this spring to deal with health and personal issues, but that he intends to return before the start of the Del Mar meeting on July 17.
When he returns, Baze will have a new agent. Ron Ebanks will replace Ivan Puhich, who said on Sunday that he plans to stay to stay involved in an advisory role and help Ebanks through the end of the Del Mar meeting on Sept. 5. Puhich has been Baze's agent since the jockey's career began in 1999.
Baroness Thatcher, the runner-up to Kentucky Oaks winner Rags to Riches earlier this year in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes, is the track's morning-line favorite for the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan, one of five stakes - all of them for females - to be run Friday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
AUBURN, Wash. - Shampoo ($9.40) chased the hot pace of California invader On Duty into the stretch, then moved to take command with a furlong remaining and powered away to a 4 1/2-length victory in Saturday's $45,000 U.S. Bank Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Emerald Downs. On Duty held on for second, 4 1/4 lengths ahead of Wings of Justice in the field of nine.
Shampoo, a homebred daughter of Gulch who races for Jerre Paxton's Northwest Farms, covered six furlongs in 1:08.40 under rider Kevin Radke. Doris Harwood trains Shampoo, who has now won 2 of 5 starts and $42,500.
ALTOONA, Iowa - Seekingthereinbow ($2.80) made it 3 for 3 in 2007 with an easy five-length win in the $65,000 Mamie Eisenhower for Iowa-bred fillies and mares on Saturday night at Prairie Meadows.
Seekingthereinbow, the reigning Iowa-bred horse of the year, covered six furlongs in 1:10.08. Entry mate Camela Carson rallied up the rail for second with Dixie Kate a neck back in third.
INGLEWOOD, Calif.- Victor Espinoza had better luck at the end of Saturday afternoon than he did earlier in the day.
Espinoza missed riding favored Peace Chant in the Los Angeles Handicap after he had a flat tire en route to the track. He arrived at Hollywood Park in time for his final two mounts, and finished the day with a victory aboard the ex-claimer On the Acorn in the $250,000 Jim Murray Memorial Handicap.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Slew's Tizzy opened up some new options for himself on Saturday, with an off-the-pace win in the Grade 3, $300,000 Lone Star Derby at Lone Star Park. He won by a length and three-quarters over Moyer's Pond, and the Belmont Stakes is now a "real possibility" for his next start, said Greg Fox, who trains Slew's Tizzy.