Is Canada's Champion Three-Year-Old title on the Line in Ontario Derby?

Ivan Dalos’ AVIE’S FLATTER and Live Oak Plantation’s GLOBAL ACCESS will do battle in the Grade 3 Ontario Derby on Saturday at Woodbine and a victory by either one could put them in the lead for Canada’s Champion 3-year-old.

Of course TONE BROKE, winner of the Prince of Wales Stakes on dirt at Fort Erie and the Breeders’ Stakes on the grass at Woodbine, might be the slight leader in the category currently but L & N Racing Stable’s colt is sitting out the Ontario Derby.

It has been a frustrating year for the handsome Avie’s Flatter, trained by Josie Carroll. Second in the Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes and third in the Breeders’, the colt had the lead in the stretch run in the last two races and could not seal the deal. His lone victory this year came in the Grade 3 Transylvania at Keeneland on the grass at 1 1/16 miles.

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The 1 1/8 miles on Tapeta of the Ontario Derby should be welcomed by the Flatter colt who will be ridden by Eurico Da Silva.

But GLOBAL ACCESS could steal away the Sovereign Award from both Canadian-breds should be take the Derby on Saturday. The Florida-bred, trained by Mike Trombetta, was hailed as the best 3-year-old in the area by jockey Patrick Husbands after he won the Marine Stakes (G3) on Tapeta in May. However the Giant’s Causeway colt lost the Charlie Barley Stakes in his next outing at Woodbine.

Since then the stretch runner parlayed a third place finish in the Grade 3 Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga on the grass and then won the Grade 3 Saranac on Aug. 31 at the Spa.

The Ontario Derby has just six starters with little to no early speed in the field, setting up for what should be a thrilling dash to the wire.