Enstone takes the inside route to Ontario Colleen victory

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Enstone ($12.80), who was supplemented by trainer Mark Casse, got a dream run along the rail to win the Grade 3 Ontario Colleen Stakes over a troubled Grizzel on Sunday at Woodbine.

R Naja led the way in the one-mile turf contest for 3-year-old fillies, with Yellow Agate taking up the chase in second, as Enstone saved ground in third under Patrick Husbands. The rail opened up early in the stretch, and Enstone quickly established a clear lead before coasting home 1 1/4 lengths on top, in a final time of 1:34.28 over the firm ground.

Grizzel, the 2-1 favorite, awaited room in the lane before closing to beat out the former Casse runner, Reverse, for second. She was followed by Mythical Mission, Yellow Agate, Super Marina, Victory to Victory, Valentine Wish and R Naja.

Enstone is normally a front-runner, but Husbands said he got an ideal setup in which to test the filly's ability to rate.

“In the mornings, we train horses to run at one another,” Husbands said. “I’ve always had her six or seven lengths behind horses, and she relaxes, but when it comes the race day, and the gate opens, she leaves there running. Today was the day I wanted to find out if she’ll rate with horse in front of her. I had a nice pace in front of me, and she did what she does in the morning – run them down. When I asked her, she just took off.”

Enstone, a daughter of Tiznow, earned $90,000 of the $141,650 purse for East West Stable.

“She’s just a nice horse,” Casse said. “She ran well at 2, and hard at 3. She’s probably going to get a rest now.”