Bajan Nicholls wins Invitational Handicap

PORTLAND, Oregon – Barbadian Keveh Nicholls won the US$10 700 Invitational Handicap at Portland Meadows on Wednesday when he piloted the four-year-old brown filly BC Cat to victory on the nine-race card.Going off at odds of 6-1 in the day’s feature race, Nicholls and BC Cat led every step of the 5-1/2 furlong trip to reach the wire two lengths clear in a time of one minute, 5:17 seconds.The ride was one of two on the day’s card for Nicholls but he finished down the field with Twisted Windsocks in race seven over five furlongs.Riding in the feature race, however, Nicholls broke the filly nicely and put her to the front immediately, setting a pressured pace along the inside.Go Blou Liza stalked just a head back with Super Dixie also eyeing the lead back in third place.Heading into the stretch, Nicholls kept BC Cat focussed and she opened up a near two-length lead in the lane to reach the wire handsomely, ahead of Go Blou Liza who was second.The new fall season began on October 4 and runs until December 31.