Stately Victor, who took the Grade 1 Bluegrass Stakes in April, before contesting the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Virginia Derby, returned to the winner’s circle in Saturday’s $154,500 Ontario Derby at Woodbine.
The son of Ghostzapper put in a strong outside rally around the final turn and wore down a game So Elite to notch a 3 ¼-length victory for owners Jack and Thomas Conway. Queen’s Plate’s champion Big Red Mike faded to finish sixth, while Plate runner-up, Hotep, was third. The running time for 1 1/8 miles was 1:50.51.
Sent off at 5-2, Stately Victor, with blinkers on, was handled patiently by Victor Lebron as Kara’s Orientation took the eight-horse field (Don Cavallo was scratched) through opening splits of :24.30, :48.17 and 1:11.98.
Stately Victor was joined by So Elite late in the turn and the duo locked horns before the Michael Maker-trained colt took command in mid-stretch to notch his third win from 11 starts.
The Kentucky-bred came into the Ontario Derby off three tough races. After finishing eighth to Super Saver in the Kentucky Derby on May 1, Stately Victor was seventh in the Belmont Stakes. He then finished fifth
to Paddy O’Prado in the Grade 2 Virginia Derby on July 17.
“After the Bluegrass, it was such a huge turnaround in form that we had to believe that Polytrack made a significant difference in his performance there,” noted Maker.
The decision to opt for blinkers was not a difficult one to make. “When he ran at Colonial Downs (Virginia Derby) last time, he looked like a horse that had never seen the racetrack,” said Maker. “At the top of the stretch, he looked like he wanted to make a right-hand turn. It was completely out of character, so we went back to them.”
Maker was pleased to see Stately Victor back in the winner’s circle after hooking some of the United States’ top three-year-old talent over the past few months. “We’ve ducked no one and it was nice to come up here to get a win, my first win up here.”
Stately Victor paid $7.40, $4.90 and $3, combining with So Elite ($6, $5.30) for a $46 exactor. Hotep ($3.40) completed a $163.30 triactor. A $1 superfecta (Village Drive) returned $653.55.
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