Woodbine: Borealis Trail glows brightest in Ontario Derby

Borealis Trail under jockey José Campos was full of run late at Woodbine to take Saturday’s Grade 3, US$124,302 Ontario Derby, which was full of Canadian Triple Crown graduates.

Mansetti, who finished first in the King’s Plate and second in the Prince of Wales, broke sharply and struck the front early in the 1 1/8-mile, synthetic-track feature for 3-year-olds. He shadowed by Runaway Again, the winner of the Prince of Wales, into the first turn and through an opening quarter-mile in 24.90 seconds. Borealis Trail, a sharp second in the Breeders’ Stakes, settled into last of seven carrying odds of 6-1.

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It was Mansetti who was ahead by a half-length through a half-mile in 49.43 seconds. He was followed by Special Session, Runaway Again and Pretty Capable. Campos and Borealis Trail continued to watch the action from the back of the pack.

Mansetti, the 2-1 favorite, extended his advantage heading into the turn for home and still was ahead by two lengths through three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.92. He had company in the form of a four-wide Wagstaff and an inside move from Borealis Trail straightening for home.

Borealis Trail was guided off the rail in the upper stretch and soon began to make inroads on the leader. Less than two lengths behind at the stretch call, the bay son of Quality Road out of Pulpit mare Aurora Lights kept gaining with every stride and took over with 100 left, going on notch a two-length win in his stakes breakthrough.

Mansetti was second, 2 1/2 lengths clear of third-place Wagstaff. He’s Not Joking was fourth.

The final time was 1:50.88 for Borealis Trail, who is trained by Rachel Halden.

“I think he’s an excellent horse,” Campos said. “He’s a super horse. Rachel is doing an excellent job with the horse. He’s a difficult horse to train, and he’s doing good. ... I tried to save ground in the first part, and when I asked (him) to go, the horse just flew.”

“It’s a little bit of redemption for him for getting beat in the in the Breeders’ the way that he did,” Halden said. “Obviously we were thrilled with how he ran, but when you’re second by just a head in a race like that, it’s a bit more frustrating than being beating fair and square by two lengths. So it was definitely a bit of redemption for him today.”

The Chiefswood Stables homebred ran his record to 6: 2-1-1.

“I think looking at his form, and I was kind of looking at the betting, I think everyone was sort of following that, thinking of him probably as a turf horse, because that’s when he kind of came around,” Halden said. “But if you go back to his first race here on the Tapeta, it was very solid. We just went the turf route, because we were thinking about the Breeders’, but he’s proved today that he can definitely handle this surface, too.”

After going unraced at 2 and three starts at 3, one on the dirt at Gulfstream Park in April and two on the Woodbine synthetic, Borealis Trail broke his maiden at one mile over the Woodbine turf Aug. 3.

Sent off as the fifth choice in the wagering, Borealis Trail paid $14.90 for the Ontario Derby win.

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