Borealis Trail runs down Mansetti to upset Ontario Derby
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The late-blooming Borealis Trail won his first stakes in style in Saturday’s Grade 3 Ontario Derby while upsetting the favored Mansetti in the 1 1/8-mile route for 3-year-olds.
King’s Plate winner Mansetti went straight to the front under Pietro Moran and eventually opened up a clear lead ahead of the stalkers Runaway Again and Special Session midway on the backstretch.
Jose Campos rated Borealis Trail at the rear of the seven-horse field going down the backstretch and then angled him from the four-path to the rail on the far turn. He made up ground quickly and took dead aim at Mansetti in the stretch before getting home on top by two lengths, in a time of 1:50.88.
Wagstaff finished 2 1/2 lengths behind Mansetti while edging out He’s Not Joking for third. Special Session, Pretty Capable, and Runaway Again completed the order for finish.
Fresh off a narrow loss in the 1 1/2-mile Breeders’ Stakes on turf, the Rachel Halden-trained Borealis Trail gave Campos his third winner on the card.
“I think he’s an excellent horse,” Campos said. “Rachel has done an excellent job with him. He’s a difficult horse to train. I tried to save ground the first part. And when I asked him to go, the horse just flew.”
Borealis Trail ($14.90) began to turn the corner after he was gelded in the spring. The son of Quality Road earned $108,000 of the $174,300 purse for owner-breeder Chiefswood Stables.
“This is a little bit of redemption for him, for getting beat in the Breeders’ the way that he did,” Halden said. “Obviously, we were thrilled with the way he ran, but when you’re second by just a head in a race like that, it’s a bit more frustrating than beaten fair and square.”
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