TORONTO, October 20, 2024 – The third stakes appearance was the charm for Unbridled Weather, who hung tough to win the $100,000 Frost King Stakes, Sunday at Woodbine.

After a second in the Bull Page Stakes on Sept. 15 and a fifth in the Algonquin Stakes last time out on Oct. 5, Unbridled Weather’s connections were hoping the son of Prime Attraction could break his maiden in style.

And that’s just what the bay did on a beautiful fall day in Toronto.

My Boy Bruce and Unbridled Weather vied for the early advantage in the 6 ½-furlong main track affair for Ontario-sired 2-year-old colts and geldings, with the former gaining the upper hand to secure a half-length lead through an opening quarter in :23.07.

The duo continued to match strides after a half in :45.39 and off the final turn with neither rookie yielding an inch.

As the pace quickened, Unbridled Weather grabbed control mid-way down the lane, but was quickly confronted by longshot Awesome Rainbow, who was full of run charging hard with less than 70 yards to the wire.

A determined Unbridled Weather was able to fend off his foe by a neck for the milestone victory. Kekoa was third and My Boy Bruce finished fourth.

The final time was 1:16.58.

“He’s a really cool horse, and he wants to get himself very forwardly placed,” said jockey Fraser Aebly, who is enjoying a strong 2024 season. “We broke well, and I took a nice little hold of him, and we relaxed. When we hit the head of the lane, he was all racehorse. He digs in the whole way. He doesn’t give up.

“He’s getting better every start. He’s maturing. He’s getting bigger and stronger. Every time he comes out here, every time I sit on him, he’s getting better.”

It was also a breakthrough win for trainer Angus Buntain, who enjoyed his first stakes triumph.

“As the story has been told, I never did actually look at him at the sale,” noted Buntain. “The owners bought him without my input or anything, and he was just a pleasant surprise to arrive in the barn this spring.

“Bringing 2-year-olds back on two weeks rest is always questionable,” he continued. “He does recover very well from his races. He was kicking the barn down, so we thought, ‘Let’s supplement and go ahead.’”

Owned by Pier 1 Stables, the gelding, out of the Weather Warning mare Old Cooksville, is now 1-2-0 from 4 starts. He finished second, at 42-1, in his debut, a 6 ½-furlong sprint on the E.P. Taylor on Aug. 24.

Purchased for only $9,000 (CDN) at the 2023 CTHS Ontario Premier Yearling Sale, he is now a stakes winner with some interesting opportunities on his dance card.

“He is bred to go long, and the Coronation [Futurity, Nov. 30, at Woodbine] is far enough away that I think we’ll have time with Fraser’s help to teach him to do a route around properly,” said Buntain.

“That is what I think I’d like to do. We’ll probably give that a try.”

Unbridled Weather paid $17 for the win.

Chris Lomon, Woodbine

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