In the 770-yard race, the quick-witted Quarter Horses were outrun and outbroke by the Ontario-bred horse Summer Retreat, based in Fort Erie.
On Wednesday, May 15, a thrilling day of Quarter Horse racing began when the well-liked Battle of the Breeds race was won by the Fort Erie-based gelding Summer Retreat, making history as the first Thoroughbred to triumph at Ajax Downs.
In the 770-yard Battle of the Breeds, Alysha Robillard's Summer Retreat burst fast out of the gate, withstood a determined assault from Quarter Horse mare Jess a Deal, and easily won by five lengths under jockey Ismael Mosquiera. Summer Retreat, trained by top trainer Julie Mathes of the Fort Erie racetrack, made history by being the first Thoroughbred to win this special one-turn race.
The eight-year-old Summer Retreat, who was bred in Ontario by Joey Gee Thoroughbreds, was making his first appearance since September 2023, and he was winning his 12th race at Ajax Downs. The elegant dark bay set a track record by racing the distance in 41.444 seconds. For Marie Broadstock and the Picov Cattle Company, Jess a Deal came in second, and Tdz Barton Grand, a Quarter Horse, placed third against Seattle Point, another Thoroughbred. Azures Royalty, the victor of the inaugural Battle of the Breeds was scratched.
Summer Retreat was brought to Ajax Downs by Mathes and Robillard, a mother-daughter combo after they completed numerous rapid workouts at their home track.
“I couldn’t believe he outbroke the Quarter Horses from the gate,” stated Mathes. “Then when I saw his ears pricked forward I was pretty confident.”
For Robillard, who has been close to Summer Retreat over the past three years, It was a poignant moment. She raised the funds to reclaim the horse in late 2022 after he was claimed by another owner from a race in late 2021.
“He’s always been special to me,” noted Robillard who recently graduated from Georgian College as an assistant veterinarian. “For him to come here, to a different track, and make history is really special.”