brilliant pitch to 5 feet and made the putt after Slumans

TORONTO -- Lexie Lou will get a shot at winning Canadas most prestigious horse race. Lexie Lou earned a commanding 4 1/2-length win Sunday in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks. In fact, Lexie Lous winning time of 1:49.77 was better than the 1:50.78 posted by Queens Plate favourite We Miss Artie in the $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes earlier. That left Lexi Lous handlers with the question whether to run her against the boys in the Queens Plate on July 6 or chase the remaining two legs of the Triple Tiara for Canadian-bred three-year-old fillies. Conditioner Mark Casse missed Sundays race while attending a horse sale in Florida. But the six-time winner of Canadas top trainer award said he spoke with owner Gary Barber and the decision was made to point the filly towards the Plate. "As long as shes healthy and happy that will be her next stop," Casse said in a telephone interview Sunday evening. Assistant trainer Kathyrn Sullivan represented Casse at Sundays race, however she was unable to call him afterwards with the good news. Thats because Sullivan lost both of her cellphones in the walking race prior to the race. "I havent talked to Kathryn yet," Casse said with a chuckle. "She did text me saying she was a nervous wreck. "But were fortunate to have a lot of great people working with us and I know she did a terrific job." Jockey Patrick Husbands had Lexie Lou, the 2/1 second choice, sitting second behind stablemate Wild Catomine for much of the race before surging into the lead and cruising for her fourth victory in 11 career starts. The $300,000 winners share boosted her lifetime earnings over $630,000. Wild Catomine, also trained by Casse, was second in the nine-horse field, with Llanarmon taking third. Paladin Bay, the 2/1 favourite, was fourth. "We took a good run at her, like we always do, but Lexie Lou found another gear out there, she just took off again," said Gerry Olguin, the jockey aboard Paladin Bay. "I thought I was going to be second . . . she got tired at the end." Sundays race was just Lexie Lous second since being purchased by Barber and first without blinkers. Husbands rode Lexie Lou to a third-place finish in the $150,000 Fury Stakes event May 10 and felt blinkers werent necessary. "The last time she never relaxed," Husbands said. "We worked her twice since the last race without blinkers, no problem. "In the post parade, she was relaxed." Only five Oaks winners have gone on to win the Queens Plate, the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown and this countrys most prestigious horse race. The last was Inglorious in 2011. Sullivan said while Lexie Lou would give away size to the colts in the Plate, shed have the speed needed to compete. "Shes light and just floats on the track and theres definitely advantages to that," she said. "I think youd find some people would say thats the kind of horse youd want and youd find as many other people saying the other (bigger is better). "Shes put on a little weight and sort of filled out a little bit in the last month. Shes just got that big, long, beautiful stride." And theres the matter of Lexie Lou posting a faster time than We Miss Artie did in the Plate Trial, both races covering 1 1/8 miles. "Yeah, I know," Sullivan said with a smile. "Thats also a debate that will rage on." We Miss Artie was the overwhelming 1/5 favourite in the Plate Trial, and with good reason. The Todd Pletcher-trained bay colt was the Queens Plate Winterbook favourite this winter and finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby on May 3. Sundays race was not only We Miss Arties first since the Derby but first-ever at Woodbine. He found himself sitting third, boxed in along the rail at one point but jockey Javier Castellano patiently waited for an opening and when it appeared, he had more than enough horse to respond. "I think I rode the best horse in the race, I think I rode with a lot of patience," Castellano said. "I let him settle . . . when we turned for home we asked (for) a little bit and he give me a good kick." Assistant trainer Ginny DePasquale admitted being concerned about We Miss Arties dire standing late in the race. "There for a moment you get a little nervous but we knew he would come through in the end," she said. "Hes got a big heart and found an opening and went on. "Javier just kind of saved him at the wire a little bit." Sullivan was impressed with We Miss Arties late kick. "Hes a much nicer horse than he is on paper, weve always thought that," she said. "You could see at the top of the turn as soon as he got some room he was full of horse, full of run. "He will definitely be very tough to run against." Majestic Sunset was second in the seven-horse field, with Tower of Texas taking third. Duane Kuiper Jersey . -- Oakland Athletics third baseman Scott Sizemore has undergone surgery on his left knee to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Jeff Samardzija Jersey . "I never commented to anyone that I wanted out," he explained. "My heart is with this group and making the playoffs." Kesler added that the rumours are "completely false" that he asked to be traded - recently or ever. http://www.sfgiantsrookiestore.com/Giants-Brandon-Belt-Kids-Jersey/ . His apology came before a pregame ceremony in which the team honoured its 2004 team that won Bostons first World Series championship since 1918. "I realize that I behaved bad in Boston," Ramirez said. Buster Posey Jersey . Langer appeared to be in trouble when his second shot on the par-5 18th ended up in the rough short of the green. He hit a brilliant pitch to 5 feet and made the putt after Slumans birdie attempt rolled just wide. Johnny Cueto Jersey .com) - The Calgary Flames are spoilers once again.LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Russian pairs skater Oksana Nagalati has been banned for one year after she tested positive for a banned diuretic and masking agent at a Junior Grand Prix. The International Skating Union says the 17-year-old Nagalati was negligent in relying on a doctor lacking experience of anti-doping rules who prescribed furosemide to treat swelling on her face and body. The ruling states Nagalati "had forgotten that furosemidee is on the (World Anti-Doping Agency) prohibited list.ddddddddddddquot; Still, the ISU disciplinary panel said her explanation "seems to be credible" and declined to impose a two-year ban. Nagalatis suspension expires on Sept. 13. WADA can challenge the judgment at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Nagalati and her partner Maxim Bobrov were disqualified from their third-place finish at the competition in Slovakia. ' ' '