Border Czar. (Michael Burns)
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
TORONTO, Ont. – Border Czar sailed past her rivals 100 yards from the wire to take top prize in the $125,000 My Dear Stakes, Saturday at Woodbine.
Thank You Amy, the 9-5 choice, broke running and went straight to the front in the 5 ½-furlong main track event for 2-year-old fillies, flanked to her outside by Sapphire Beach (IRE). The trio of Pageant Queen, Border Czar, and Souper Sporty were in the second flight, a few lengths behind the pacesetting pair through an opening panel in :22.17.
It was still Thank You Amy and Sapphire Beach (IRE) dueling through three-eighths, but Border Czar, under Rafael Hernandez, was starting to pick up momentum swinging for home.
Just past the stretch call, Border Czar powered past her foes with authority to strike front.
From there, it was a question of what the winning margin would be.
The answer came in the form of a 2 ¾-length score over D.J. Stable LLC filly Abdul. The first-time starter got off to a tardy beginning but came with a spirited stretch run to take the runner-up spot. Pageant Queen finished third. Pina Colada, a stablemate of Abdul, also making her debut, rallied to finish fourth.
The final time was 1:05.77.
Trained and owned by champion conditioner Barb Minshall, Border Czar, a daughter of Beau Liam out of the Street Boss mare Adalee, debuted in winning fashion on June 7. The bay filly stormed home to eke out a neck score at five furlongs over the Woodbine main track.
“The maiden race, there were a couple issues,” said Hernandez, who won the co-featured Victoria Stakes with Casson earlier in the card. “She was a little green, but we came up and we were the winner. And now today, with the extra half of furlong, we were able to do it.”
“She’s pretty sharp little filly,” praised Minshall. “I mean, she loves to train. She was a little sharp going to post and everything. I noticed that. But she’s all business. And you ask her to do something, she’s all business. And Raffy has worked her a couple times, he’s got to know her even better, and he knew she’d come running.”
Border Czar was a $25,000 purchase at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale.
Bred in Kentucky by Southern Comfort Farm LLC., she paid $15.40 for the win.
