Mrs. D overcame a slow start and surged at the finish to upset the favorite, Go for Launch, capturing the $250,000 bet365 Algonquin Stakes (G3) on Saturday at Woodbine. Among the six runners, Mrs. D, one of three fillies in the race, usually positions herself near the front but broke last in the five-furlong inner turf sprint for two-year-olds.
Early in the race, Allura and Excessif battled for the lead, with Allura maintaining the front through the first quarter mile in 22.11 seconds on a good turf course. Lou’s Room held third on the rail, followed closely by the unbeaten Go for Launch in fourth. Speaker’s Speech was fifth, and Mrs. D trailed just outside in sixth place.
As they rounded the turn, Go for Launch, who recently shipped to Saratoga and won the Bolton Landing Stakes in late August, began to pick up speed along the four path under jockey Pietro Moran, taking the lead inside the eighth pole with a half-mile split of 45.64 seconds. Meanwhile, Mrs. D, guided by her regular rider Jose Campos, took an outside route on the turn and mounted a strong rally alongside Go for Launch. In the final furlong, Campos steered Mrs. D inside to challenge Go for Launch and edged ahead by a half-length, finishing in 57.74 seconds.
“My plan was to sit just behind the speed, but since the filly broke a bit slow, I decided to hold my position and wait to make one move—everything to win, nothing to lose,” said Campos, who has ridden Mrs. D in all four of her career starts. “At the two-and-a-half-furlong mark, I knew we had a good chance.”
Trained by Steven Chircop, Mrs. D had an impressive debut victory, winning a local five-furlong main track sprint on May 31. She then stepped up to stakes company with a second-place finish in the My Dear Stakes followed by a third in her turf debut during the Catch a Glimpse Stakes.
“We were definitely taking a chance, but we had as much confidence in this horse as we ever have,” said Chircop, who prepared the Bolt d’Oro filly with an eye-catching three-furlong bullet workout in 34.20 seconds on September 26. “Her last work was phenomenal; you couldn’t ask for better. She’s had a few minor setbacks we’ve had to manage, but thanks to the owner Joe Demarinis giving us time and patience to do our job, it all paid off today. She hasn’t run a bad race yet.”
With this upset, Chircop also earned bragging rights over his cousin Kevin Attard, the trainer of Go for Launch. “I wasn’t going to say it, but it’s true,” Chircop laughed post-race.
Bred in Kentucky by Dixiana Farms LLC and owned by JDLP Holdings, Inc., Mrs. D (Bolt d’Oro out of True Elegance by Distorted Humor) improved her career record to two wins, one second, and one third from four starts, marking her first graded stakes victory. She opened at 6-1 odds on the morning line, went off at 7-1, and paid $17.40 to win. Go for Launch finished second, Speaker’s Speech third, and the pacesetter Allura came in fourth.
This report was originally published by Paulick Report on October 4, 2026.
Fan Take: This thrilling upset highlights the unpredictability and excitement that keeps horse racing fans coming back. Mrs. D’s victory not only underscores the importance of patience and precise race riding but also adds fresh intrigue to the juvenile filly division, promising an engaging season ahead.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
