With a quick turn of foot while wide on the turn for home, Borders Racing Stable’s RONDURE scampered to a 10 3/4 length in the final race at Woodbine on May 14 and jumped into the picture for the 163rd Queen’s Plate.
The compact bay colt won the maiden allowance race, loaded with many nice prospects, in a super time of 1:22.73 for seven furlongs. Shaun Bridgmohan rode for trainer Katerina Vassilieva.
Borders Racing is owned by Alberta’s Hazel Bennett, who has been raising and racing Thoroughbreds for several decades and she races in her home province as well as Ontario and in the U.S.
Rondure was making his first start as a 3-year-old, first with Lasix and making his first start for Vassilieva. The Borders Racing horses had been trained by Dan Vella for many years and Rondure had two deceptively pleasing runs for Vella last year as a juvenile.
The son of Preakness Stakes winner Oxbow (Awesome Again) from Bennett’s mare Carat Weight (Trajectory), who was foaled at Susan Foreman‘s farm in Orangeville, was prepped this past winter at CamHaven Farm in Caledon this winter.
He is the second foal to race for Carat Weight whom Bennett purchased from breeder Richard Day for $14,046 (US) at the CTHS Ontario yearling sale in 2011 through consignor Beth Hancock. Carat Weight is from the mare Simply Precious, a stakes-placed dam of stakes winner Bear’s Gem and stakes-placed Peggy O.
Carat Weight was trained by Carolyn Costigan at Woodbine and went to Fort Erie to win her maiden in a six furlong sprint. She raced five times in Alberta before she was retired. Rondure was in fact bought back for $8,000 at the 2019 CTHS Winter Mixed Sale, one of six weanlings entered in that sale by Bennett.
Rondure’s big win took the sting out of the loss of Vassilieva’s other 3-year-old in the maiden race. Allen Diggs, highly touted off very fast workout times and bet down to 3-to-1 from his 8-to-1 morning line quote, faded to last place.
Another eye-catching winner on the May 14 card was the lopsided win by the 2-year-old Ontario-bred filly ADORA, an Into Mischief – Southern Ring (Speightstown) filly owned by Tracy Farmer and trained by Mark Casse. Bred by Sam-Son Farms, Adora was a $450,000 yearling purchase last summer at Saratoga. She won an early speed battle with Gila and then pulled away to a big win in 52.40 for 4 1/2 furlongs.
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SOUPER COHIBA scored an exciting win in race 1 for owner John Scott and trainer Francine Villeneuve. The 5-year-old came from last place to win his season debut in this $15,000 claiming race under Rafael Hernandez.
BANFF, a first-time starter by Silent Name – El Tara by Schossberg, also scored a theatrical win when he overcame a slow start to win his debut for $15,000 claiming in race 3. Owned by Discovery Racing and Goldie Stables and trained by Julia Carey, Banff was ridden by Emma-Jayne Wilson. This was Carey’s 3rd win of the season.
SPANISH BALLERINA did not win at all in 2021 but was a winner on Saturday in her second race of the year. David Moran had the 6-year-od mare quickly on the lead and she coasted home for Frank Huarte and Ruvee Stables. This was a $60,000 optional claiming race.
Ron Sadler took his first win of the season when his 8-year-old mare NORTHERN RUBY led all the way to win a $10,000 waiver claiming a sprint. The Giant Gizmo mare, who was only making her 11th career start, was ridden shrewdly by Jason Hoyte.
The Casse barn also sent out Centennial Farms Inc.’s NIAGARA SKYLINE to win his maiden in his season debut. The 4-year-old War Dancer gelding was ridden by Declan Carroll. Another maiden winner was GRANDSON, who won his 4-year-old debut for Equus Holdings and Archie Lee. Trained by John LeBlanc, Grandson is a colt by Silver Max bred by Chris and Patrick Fung.
Bill and Al Ulwelling had another win in the young season as BIZYMALINE won a $25,000 claiming race in her return from a short stint in New Orleans. The Fed Biz Ontario-bred was claimed from the wide rallying win by Anthony DiPaola.
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