Touch’n Ride awarded first in Ontario Derby after Solo Album disqualification

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Favored Touch’n Ride got the win by disqualification in Saturday's Grade 3, $179,300 Ontario Derby at Woodbine after the disqualification of Solo Album in the nine-furlong race for 3-year-olds.

After breaking from the outside post 9, Solo Album made the lead early on the first turn under Sahin Civaci while appearing to crowd Twin City, who was forced to steady.

Solo Album set honest fractions over the speed-favoring Tapeta surface while being pressed by Velocitor and a three-wide Touch’n Ride. She opened up a daylight lead on the far turn and then held off a late bid from Touch’n Ride to prevail by a length, in a time of 1:48.93 over 1 1/8 miles.

After a stewards’ inquiry and objections from both the rider and trainer of Twin City, Solo Album was demoted to fifth for interference. Cool Kiss was promoted from third to second, Twowaycrossing was placed third, and Twin City got fourth money.

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Trained by Layne Giliforte, Touch’n Ride ($6.80) was coming off a victory in the anchor leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the 1 1/2-mile Breeders’ Stakes on turf. The son of Candy Ride banked $108,000 for Chiefswood Stables.

“I’m really proud of him,” Chiefswood general manager Robert Landry said. “We didn’t even nominate him to the Triple Crown. He was a slow developer. When we came up in the spring in April, Layne and I watched him work together and I said, geez, I might have made a mistake not nominating him.

“You’ve got to let the horses tell you, and he did. He ran a tremendous race. Kazushi (Kimura) rode him well. He’s been doing good. We’ll give him a little break now. He’s done a lot. We’ll give him a chance to get bigger and stronger and bring him back next year.”

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