start command with file that has spaces

[Grod]

Suppose "a b.doc" is a word file. If I issue the command:

start "a b.doc"

then it just pops up a new command window but if I rename the file
to ab.doc then

start ab.doc

starts up Word with ab.doc in it as expected. How does one
launch "a b.doc", preferably using start, on Windows XP?

[foxidrive]

start "" "a b.doc"

The leading pair of quotes are taken as a window title under NT.