Chart Maps Out Perfectly-Timed Score in Ontario Colleen

TORONTO, ON – D J Stable’s Chart mapped out a perfectly-timed score to usurp the even-money favorite Avie’s Samurai at the wire and win Saturday’s $125,000 Ontario Colleen Stakes (G3) at Woodbine.

Breaking from post 6 under Justin Stein at 9/2 odds, Chart sat a close stalking position in outside of Avie’s Samurai. Ahead of them, Chart’s Mark Casse stablemate Two Sixty set the opening tempo through fractions of :23.55, :46.93, and 1:10.38.

Inching up to challenge for the lead near the top of the stretch, Chart fended off an outside bid from Saratoga Vision and dug in as she raced heads apart with Two Sixty in the stretch.

Avie’s Samurai found a seam along the rail and took command halfway home, but Chart kept fighting down the middle of the lane with every step and managed to move forward enough to win by a head.

The final time for the firm outer turf mile was 1:35.24.

“She broke sharp and I didn’t have to ask her to leave there,” Stein said. “She settled into stride right away and just galloped around there until it was really time to start running. I got to sit and wait for a while. I was pretty comfy sitting up to the 1/4 pole, and when I asked her to run, she really kicked. I just could feel the try that she had inside. She was digging in and giving me everything that she had. Running into that headwind, I don’t know how she did it, but she found more to get the job done.”

Avie’s Samurai held second by a head over a fast-closing Diamond Sparkles, a third Casse entry. Two Sixty faded late to finish fourth ahead of Saratoga Vision, while Fly So Pretty – Casse’s fourth barn representative – never improved from last before completing the order of finish.

Walk In Marrakesh was scratched.

Chart’s win was her second straight following an allowance sprint over the local synthetic surface last month and improved her overall record to 6-3-1-0. The 3-year-old Lea filly, purchased for $120,000 as a juvenile, has now earned $110,269.

Chart returned $11.20 to win, $5.20 to place, and $3.40 to show. Avie’s Samurai brought back $3.10 to place and $2.30 to show, while Diamond Sparkles paid $2.70 to show.