Mrs D springs upset in Algonquin

03/10/2026

TORONTO, October 3, 2026 - Mrs D overcame a tardy start and closed with a rush to deny favourite Go for Launch and win the bet365 Algonquin Stakes (Grade 3 - $250,000) Saturday at Woodbine.

One of three fillies in the six-horse field, the usual forwardly placed Mrs D broke last in the 5-furlong inner turf sprint for two-year-olds.

Allura and Excessif dueled for the early advantage, with Allura leading inside through an opening quarter mile in :22.11, over a course listed “Good”. Lou's Room raced third on the rail. Undefeated filly Go for Launch shaded that one in fourth. Speaker's Speech was fifth with Mrs D racing just outside in sixth.

Around the turn, the regally bred Go for Launch (Flightline – Starship Jubilee, by Indy Wind), who shipped to Saratoga and won the Bolton Landing Stakes in late August, was rallying on cue in the four path under Pietro Moran and the pair struck the front inside the eighth pole in a half mile split of :45.64.

Mrs D, under regular pilot Jose Campos, took the overland route around the turn and began closing stoutly to the outside of Go for Launch. In the final furlong, Campos angled Mrs D inside, hooking Go for Launch in the closing yards and gamely prevailed by a half-length in a final time of :57.74.

"The plan was, come just behind the speed, but the filly break a little bit slow, so i say ok, I'm going to stay here," said Campos, the only rider to sit on Mrs D in her now, four career starts. “I'm going to wait and make just one move. Everything to win nothing to lose.

"From the two and half, I say, we are going to have a good chance,"

The Steven Chircop trained Mrs D won at first asking, wiring a field six to graduate in a local five-furlong, main track dash on May 31st. Stakes engagements followed, with a second-place finish in the My Dear Stakes, then a third in her turf debut in the Catch a Glimpse Stakes.

"We were taking a shot obviously, but we had as much confidence in this horse as any we ever have," said Chircop, who prepped the daughter of Bolt d'Oro with an eye catching three-furlong main track bullet (:34.20) on September 26th. "Her last work was phenomenal; you couldn't have asked for a better work

"She's had some small hiccups, things that we've got to learn to work with. And giving her the time with (owner Joe Demarinis) letting us do our job and giving us the patience, it all prevailed today. She hasn't run a bad race for us yet."

In engineering Mrs D's upset win, the humble Chircop also gained bragging rights on his cousin Kevin Attard, who trains Go for Launch.

"I wasn't going to say it, but it's true," laughed Chircop when prodded post-race.

Bred in Kentucky by Dixiana Farms LLC and owned by JDLP Holdings, Inc., Mrs D (Bolt d'Oro - True Elegance, by Distorted Humor) improved to 2-1-1 from four career starts, while also earning her first graded stakes' win.

Mrs D opened at 6-1 on the morning line, went off at 7-1 and returned $17.40 for the upset win. Go for Launch was second. Speaker's Speech was third and pacesetter Allura was fourth.

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Phil McSween, for Woodbine