Brachetto will headline the Grade 3 Ontario Derby at Woodbine on Saturday, October 17, as the improving three-year-old returns to action following a determined runner-up finish in the Prince of Wales Stakes. Trained by Julia Carey, the colt will face eight rivals in the $175,000 contest, with Military Time, who finished ahead of him at Fort Erie, among the challengers.
Brachetto has shown steady progress through his first season of racing, combining early sprint experience with encouraging performances over longer distances. His latest effort at Fort Erie, where he finished just half a length behind Military Time over 1 3/16 miles on dirt, offered further evidence of his ability to compete at stakes level.
Brachetto Targets Ontario Derby After Strong Stakes Run
Brachetto began his career at Woodbine in November 2025, finishing second by a nose in a six-furlong contest before placing third over the same distance. He returned the following May to secure his maiden victory, again over six furlongs on the main track.
His development continued with a third-place finish in the Queenston Stakes on June 7, followed by a breakthrough graded stakes success in the Marine Stakes (G3) on June 27. Tackling two turns for the first time, he rallied strongly over 1 1/16 miles to win by half a length.
An unplaced finish in the King’s Plate in August preceded his trip to Fort Erie for the Prince of Wales Stakes, the middle leg of Canada’s Triple Crown. His runner-up effort there strengthened the case for another appearance against graded company.
Carey subsequently decided to bypass the Breeders’ Stakes on September 27, giving the colt additional time to recover from his demanding effort at Fort Erie. She is also looking ahead to Brachetto’s four-year-old campaign, believing further maturity could bring out more of his ability. Distances between a mile and a mile and an eighth are expected to suit him particularly well.
Bred in Manitoba by Dr. Ross A. McKague, Brachetto is owned by McKague and his wife, Brenda Lee. His record stands at two wins, two seconds and two thirds from seven starts. Ryan Munger will take the ride from post seven, while Military Time will be partnered by Fraser Aebly from post nine.
Brachetto’s preparation has included two five-furlong workouts over Woodbine’s main track. He covered the distance in 1:01.60 on October 4 before improving to 1:01.20 on October 10, completing his final preparations ahead of Saturday’s assignment.
The Ontario Derby was first run in 1972, when Nice Dancer won the inaugural edition under Sandy Hawley. Kazushi Kimura later recorded four consecutive victories in the race from 2020 through 2023.
Creed’s Gold and Charmingly Evasive Target Ontario Fashion Stakes
The Ontario Derby will share Saturday’s Woodbine programme with the $175,000 Ontario Fashion Stakes (G3), where Mark Casse’s Creed’s Gold will lead the challenge against nine rivals over six furlongs on the main track. Charmingly Evasive has also been discussed as a possible contender, although her name does not appear in the supplied field.
Creed’s Gold arrives following back-to-back victories in the Hendrie Stakes (G3), including a 1½-length success on July 25. The daughter of Jimmy Creed was scheduled to contest the Seaway Stakes in August but was withdrawn after stepping on a shoe. She has since returned to training in good order and is preparing for her eighth consecutive stakes appearance.
Creed’s Gold has recorded six wins, three second-place finishes and three thirds from 16 starts, with earnings of $516,264. Her first stakes victory came in the 2025 Seaway Stakes, and she has continued to establish herself among Woodbine’s leading sprint performers.
She completed a four-furlong workout in 48.60 seconds on September 25 before covering five furlongs in 1:01.00 on October 1. Both exercises formed part of her preparation for the weekend assignment.
Charmingly Evasive, a three-year-old daughter of Charlatan, has progressed with two consecutive victories. She broke her maiden in August over six furlongs before following up on September 26 with a determined head victory over 6½ furlongs.
Bred in Ontario by Mitchell Kursner and owned by D.J. Stable LLC, Charmingly Evasive has recorded two wins, one second and one third from five starts. She was runner-up on debut at Woodbine in April and has progressed with each subsequent appearance. Her recent form suggests she is developing well, although the step into graded company would represent a new challenge.
Creed’s Gold, bred in Kentucky by Linda Griggs and owned by Kristin Meldahl, will start from post ten under Rafael Hernandez. The Ontario Fashion has a long history of repeat winners, including La Voyaguese in 1979 and 1980, Summer Mood in 1984 and 1985, and Atlantic Hurricane in 2011 and 2012. Jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva holds the record for the most victories in the race, with four.
Ontario Derby 2026 Field and Runners
The Ontario Derby field includes Final Score, trained by Kevin Attard and ridden by Pietro Moran from post one; Trevally, trained by John LeBlanc Jr. and partnered by David Moran from post two; Fire and Wine, trained by Zeljko Krcmar and ridden by Jalon Samuel from post three; and Western Warrior, trained by Kelsey Mayhew with Sahin Civaci aboard from post four.
Teleport (IRE), also trained by Kevin Attard, is listed at post five with Pietro Moran named as jockey. Bull by the Horns will start from post six under Rasheed Hughes for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Brachetto occupies post seven with Ryan Munger for Julia Carey, followed by Chaos Agent at post eight with Rafael Hernandez for Josie Carroll. Military Time completes the supplied field at post nine with Fraser Aebly for trainer Mark Casse.
The Ontario Fashion Stakes field includes Minimum Forty, ridden by Daisuke Fukumoto for Robert Tiller; Sea Runner, partnered by Fraser Aebly for Josie Carroll; Ultimate Authority, ridden by Edwin Gonzalez for Saffie Joseph Jr.; and Sinclairity, partnered by Pietro Moran for Kevin Attard.
Quadruple (GB) will be ridden by Ryan Munger for Josie Carroll, while Austere has Romero Ramsay Maragh aboard for Brendan Walsh. Les Reys (FR) will be partnered by Emma-Jayne Wilson for Miguel Clement, and Tessellate (S) will run under Rasheed Hughes for Saffie Joseph Jr. Spinelli, trained by Joe Orseno, is listed with Sahin Civaci, while Creed’s Gold completes the supplied ten-horse field from post ten under Rafael Hernandez for Mark Casse.
Saturday’s programme brings together established stakes performers and emerging talent at Woodbine. Brachetto will look to build on his strong Prince of Wales Stakes effort, while Creed’s Gold seeks another graded success. The progress of Charmingly Evasive also merits attention as the season continues, subject to confirmation of the final declarations.
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