Florida Won springs upset in Ontario Derby

ETOBICOKE, Ontario— The 10-1 longshot Florida Won made quite a splash in his first Polytrack start at Woodbine on Sunday, capturing the Grade 3, $175,800 Ontario Derby from off the pace under Patrick Husbands.

Lunar Rover set slow fractions in the nine-furlong event for 3-year-olds, with Coltimus Prime stalking in second. Florida Won trailed while about four lengths off the lead on the backstretch, and then closed five-wide behind favored Ami’s Holiday on the far turn, en route to 1 ½-length triumph, in 1:50.80.

Coltimus Prime dug in to secure second by a half-length over Ami’s Holiday. Squeeze the King checked in fourth in a field reduced to seven with the scratch of Freitag.

It was the second stakes victory on the card for Patrick Husbands, who also won the La Lorgnette aboard Sweater Weather.

“When I breezed him last week, he breezed like a winner,” said Husbands. “I just rode him with confidence. I didn’t worry about the horses in front of him. I knew what type of horse I was sitting on. I had a lot of horse. I was just waiting for (Ami’s Holiday) to go.”

Florida Won ($22.30) earned $90,000 in his first stakes score for Live Oak Plantation and trainer Mark Casse.