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2025 My Dear and Victoria Stakes

Border Czar heads to the winner's circle after the My Dear Stakes.

There were two stakes at Woodbine on Saturday for the 2-year-olds, headlined by the $125,000 My Dear Stakes for two-year-old fillies going 5 1/2 furlongs over the main Tapeta track. Conditions were unusually warm for mid-July in Southern Ontario with sunny skies and a high temperature of 33.7 C (92.7 F) with the humidity making it feel like 41 C (106 F). Thank You Amy was sent off as the 9-5 favorite in the field of 9 off her debut win on June 15 by 4 1/4 lengths at Presque Isle Downs. In to challenge her included 7-2 second choice Abdul, a first time starter for trainer Mark Casse, and 13-2 third choice Border Czar off her debut win by a neck at Woodbine on June 7.

Border Czar leads down the center in the stretch.

Jockey Huber Villa-Gomez sent Thank You Amy to the lead through fractions of 22.17 and 45.37 while pressed by 15-2 Sapphire Beach and stalked by 11-1 Souper Sporty. Into the stretch Thank You Amy continued to lead through 5f in 58.76 before tiring badly in the final 1/16. Border Czar, 4th early under Rafael Hernandez, came out 6 wide for room turning for home and rallied to win by 2 3/4 lengths over deep closing Abdul in 1:05.77. It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to 9-1 Pageant Queen third, while favorite Thank You Amy finished 6th beaten 6 lengths.

Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 4 Border Czar Hernandez 15.40 5.90 3.70 6 Abdul Civaci 5.30 3.50 3 Pageant Queen Aebly 4.60 Winning Time: 1:05.77 $1 Exacta 4-6 38.90 $2 Trifecta 4-6-3 415.40 $2 Superfecta 4-6-3-5 1,864.40 Results chart

Left: Border Czar in the winner's circle. Winning owner-trainer Barbara Minshall said, "She's pretty sharp little filly. 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."

Right: Border Czar gets hosed off after the race.

Left: Border Czar heads out to the track before the race. Winning jockey Rafael Hernandez said, "The maiden race, there were a couple issues. 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."

Right: Border Czar returns after the race.

Left: Second place finisher Abdul returns after the race. The Mark Casse trainee improved her record to 1 second in 1 start, earning $18,261 for owner D. J. Stable.

Right: Third place finisher Pageant Queen walks over before the race. The James Begg trainee improved her record to 1 win and 1 third in 2 starts, earning $61,241 for owners Windways Farm and Upland Flats Racing.

Sixth place finisher and beaten favorite Thank You Amy heads out to the track before the race. She has a record of 1 win in 2 starts, earning $24,313 for owner-trainer and breeder Ron Potts.

Casson wins the Victoria Stakes

Jockey Rafael Hernandez sent Casson to the lead through fractions of 22.79 and 46.29 while pressed by 11-2 fourth choice Valley of Kings and stalked by Rude Procedure. Turning for home Casson opened up a 3 length lead through 5f in 58.15. Kept to task by Hernandez, Casson cruised to a 2 1/2 length win over late-running favorite Jupiter in 1:04.31. It was another 2 3/4 lengths back to Rude Procedure third.

Results chart

Left: Casson in the winner's circle. Winning jockey Rafael Hernandez said, "He broke a little slow. He was outside, so he broke a little bit out, and when I tapped him in the shoulder, he started picking up. So, I let him cruise. My horse was just kind of waiting for me to start moving there to give me a second gear. I had total confidence."

Right: Casson gets hosed off after the race.

Left: Casson walks over before the race. He is named after A.J. Casson of the "Group of Seven" Canadian landscape painters, best known for his depictions of landscapes, forests and farms of southern Ontario and was the youngest member of the group.

Right: Casson heads to the winner's circle. Mark Casse trains the first 3 finishers in the Victoria Stakes.

Left: Second place finisher and beaten favorite Jupiter returns after the race. The Mark Casse trainee improved his record to 1 win and 1 second in 2 starts, earning $50,733 for owner D. J. Stable.

Right: Third place finisher Rude Procedure heads out to the track before the race. The Mark Casse trainee improved his record to 1 win and 1 third in 2 starts, earning $42,590 for owner-breeders Linda Roach, Robert Fetkin, and Small Batch Thoroughbreds.

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