Polished ride gives Husbands fourth Ontario Colleen

Celebrated Barbadian jockey Patrick Husbands won his second added-money race over the weekend when he combined with 2-1 chance Old Flash Drive to win the Grade 3 CAN$150 000 Ontario Colleen Stakes at Woodbine, Canada on Sunday.

Up against the three-year-old fillies in race six on Queen’s Plate day in southern Ontario, Husbands stalked from second with the bay filly before exploding off the final turn to dominate the stretch and hit the wire two lengths clear in a time of one minute, 34.76 seconds.

Old Flash Drive, conditioned by champion trainer Mark Casse, is unbeaten this year in three starts, and is coming off a victory in the Selene Stakes last month.

The filly has three wins in five starts overall, for lifetime earnings of nearly $181 000.

“I breezed her on Sunday (August 15) and when I got back to the barn, my head was bigger than Woodbine,”the 48-year-old Husbands said afterwards.

“I said ‘Mark, this is a Breeders’ Cup horse.’ She just loved it (the turf).”

He added: “She’s the type of filly that has a very serious streak in her so I know her. She doesn’t like horses running with her; she doesn’t like horses at all. 

“Since I was getting on her in the paddock we leave early so we are not in post parade and then we get to the gates … we just hope they fly fast.”

Going a mile, Sweet Souper Sweet produced the early fractions of 24.42 for the quarter and 48.35 for the half, with Old Flash Drive in second, Speightstown Shirl on the flank half-length back and the rest of the field chasing.

Old Flash Drive surged to the front at the top of the stretch with Speightstown Shirl, Seasons and Perseverancia duelling in pursuit.

However, the race was already over inside the final sixteenth as Husbands had all the momentum with Old Flash Drive.

The success was the fourth for Husbands in the Ontario Colleen and his third in the last five years.

There was disappointment for Husbands in the Queen’s Plate, however, finishing well down the field with 8-1 bet Dance Some Mo as favourite Safe Conduct won the million-dollar feature.

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