story by Phil McSween for Woodbine
photos by Michael Burns
Elysian Field (above), under a polished steer from catch rider Fraser Aebly, came off a summer freshening to win her first career turf race in Sunday’s (Sept. 13) $150,000 Belfountain Stakes at Woodbine.
The Belfountain is the second of four new $150,000 stakes races at Woodbine restricted to Registered Ontario Bred 4-year-olds and older created by the Ontario Thoroughbred Improvement Program (TIP).
The Caledon Stakes on Aug. 30 was the first of the new races to be contested.
In the Belfountain, Pietro Moran was originally named to ride the 6-year-old chestnut mare, but after he was unseated in the Victorian Queen Stakes (one race earlier on Sunday’s card), Aebly was deputized.
Breaking from the inside post in the field of eight, the 2023 Woodbine Oaks champion and King’s Plate runner up, settled in fifth, through an opening two-furlong clocking of :23.98.
Scat Girl, a 25-1 shot, set the early pace in the 9-furlong E.P. Taylor Turf Course route and led the way through an opening half-mile in :47.69 and six furlong time of 1:10.75. Fortyfiveseventy raced second, a ground-saving Ontario was third and Crystal Visions was fourth as the field approached the top of the stretch.
Two furlongs out, Aebly had the white-blazed daughter of Hard Spun in striking range while five to six deep. Inside the three-sixteenths pole, the Mark Casse-trained Elysian Field struck the front, and while drifting slightly, carried on to win by 2 3/4 lengths in a final time of 1:46.77 over a course listed ‘firm.’
Second vs. the boys in the 2023 Breeders’ Stakes, Elysian Field was winless in seven career turf starts before winning the Belfountain.
A gracious Aebly was grateful for the win, but happier that his peer Moran was reportedly fine after his mishap a race earlier.
“I’m just glad Pietro’s okay,” said Aebly. “You know, that’s the main thing. We all want to come back safe.
“I had a quick chance to glance at the form when I rode against this horse before. They told me she was pretty uncomplicated, and she kind of just runs her race to just stay out of her way.”
“She jumped out of there well, and we kind of found a nice spot, kind of by her lonesome down the backside. She was traveling pretty comfortable, so I was pretty confident in her there.”
A multiple graded winner on synthetic, Elysian Field was bred in Ontario by Anderson Farms Ont Inc and is owned by Gary Barber and Team Valor International LLC. With the Belfountain win, the chestnut improved to 6-6-0 from 20 career starts.
Elysian Field (Hard Spun – Elysian, by Smart Strike) who was 3-1 on the morning line, went to post at odds of 2-1 and paid $6.90 for the win. Just Magnificent (19-1) closed to be second, Fortyfiveseventy was third and favourite Ontario was fourth in the 9-furlong turf route for Ontario-bred fillies and mares four-year-olds and upward.
This story originally appeared here.
Stunningly Perfect gets black type win in Victorian Queen
Ontario Bred Stunningly Perfect, handled early race adversity and fired in timely fashion to earn her first career stakes’ win in Sunday’s $150,000 Victorian Queen Stakes at Woodbine.
Making her third career start and teamed with jockey Jose Campos for the first time, the dark bay/brown daughter of Perfect Timber broke in a slight tangle from post position six, as the field of seven were sent on their way, in the six-and-a-half-furlong main track event for Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies.
Leaving the chute, 1-2 favourite Sarayu unseated rider Moran, immediately changing the complexion of the race. The loose horse raced ahead of the field as Awesome Grace set the early pace through an opening quarter in :22.55. Champagne Sunday raced well back in second, with Stunningly Perfect third and Whitemudwest fourth.
The top troika remained in that order through an opening half-mile in a quick :45.50. A furlong-and-a-half from home, the Steven Chircop-trained Stunningly Perfect angled off the rail, and in full flow, drove past Champagne Sunday and a rail rallying Princess Orlaith, defeating the latter by 1 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:17.81.
Stunningly Perfect and jockey Jose Campos winning the Victorian Queen Stakes on Sept. 13 at Woodbine.
“I did it just exactly how Steve said,” said Campos. “Just stayed quiet in the beginning. I just followed the speed. When I started asking at the two and a half, my filly was running and responding so well, to the quarter, but when she made a kick, I knew that she was a winner.”
Originally trained by Steve Attard, Chircop took over training duties for Stunningly Perfect’s second career start, where she graduated by 7 1/2 lengths with Emma-Jayne Wilson at odds of 1-9 vs. two foes in a six furlong maiden optional claiming race on Aug. 23.
Chricop, who also had Awesome Grace (sixth) in the Victorian Queen, was emotional in the winner’s circle, adding that the moment is bittersweet after the passing of long-time groom and friend Dean Hardman, who cared for Stunningly Perfect.
Bred in Ontario by Charles Fipke and owned by Zilli Racing Stables, Stunningly Perfect earned career win number two in her third career start. In her lifetime bow under Attard, she was beaten a half-length, ironically, by the Chircop-trained Awesome Grace.
Stunningly Perfect was 3-1 on the morning line, floated up to 7-1 and paid $16.10 for the win. Princess Orlaith rallied up the rail from fifth to finish second. 28-1 shot Tweeternity was third and Champagne Sunday was fourth.
This story originally appeared here.
Souper Survivor earns first career stakes win with Bull Page romp
Souper Survivor and jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson winning the Bull Page Stakes on Sept. 13, 2026 at Woodbine.
Heavy favourite Souper Survivor earned an emphatic measure of redemption to win Sunday’s $150,000 Bull Page Stakes at Woodbine.
The beaten choice last out in the Simcoe Stakes, the Ontario Bred 2-year-old colt broke from the rail, and quickly burst to the lead, leaving the chute in the six- and one-half furlong main track dash for Ontario-sired 2-year-old colts and geldings.
Making his third career start, all with regular rider Emma-Jayne Wilson, the bay son of Souper Speedy led the field of six through an opening quarter mile in :23.38.
Longshot Leo and Prince Shaman raced just off the leader. King Kadooment was a close fourth on the rail. It Wasn’t a Bluff and War Emperor were also in range approaching the bend.
Mid-turn, Prince Shaman and Pietro Moran, were the first to press Souper Survivor, but Wilson and the William Tharrenos-trainee were in good rhythm approaching the quarter-pole, on top in an opening half mile in :46.48.
Turning for home, Souper Survivor found another gear, opening up to win his first career stake by 5 1/4 lengths.
Bred in Ontario by John Carey, Souper Survivor ran off the screen at first asking in a five- and one-half main track sprint, dusting a field of six by 10 1/4 lengths. Next out, the bay went postward as the even money favourite in the Simcoe Stakes, when finishing third.
“With two-year-olds, they’re always developing,” Wilson said. “That last race, I think he was a little overwhelmed.
“That’s one of the key things with these racers. We don’t get to tell them what the big picture is. We don’t get to tell them what they’re training for. So you show them what a race is, and they kind of figure it out.
“And sometimes it’s bigger fields, more traffic, more racing, and it can overwhelm them a little. But you can see today, he learned from that and overcame and came on again as a stakes winner.”
When reached midweek, Tharrenos said, “He didn’t get the push we wanted” in the Simcoe. “If we get the lead into the turn, (in the Bull Page) it’s over,” he said.
Post race, the conditioner praised his team: “We did a little bit of work on him,” Tharrenos said. “Dr. Victoria helped us out in a big way.
“His blood wasn’t so good. We worked on that.
“I just want to be thankful for everybody who took part of this today, and I’m just proud of the little guy.”
Owned by Racing Canada Inc and Natural Eight Stable, Souper Survivor (Souper Speedy – Bear’s Kitty Kitty, by Rockport Harbor) improved to 2-0-1 from 3 lifetime starts.
Souper Survivor was the even money morning line favourite, went off at 1-5 and returned $2.50 for the win.
Longshot Leo was second, 20-1 shot It Wasn’t a Bluff finished third and War Emperor was fourth.
This story originally appeared here.
