Souper Sinclair and jockey Jose Campos winning the Algoma Stakes on August 27, 2023, at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo)
Chris Lomon, Woodbine Communications / @WoodbineComms
TORONTO, Ont. – A pair of stakes, the $100,000 Ashbridges Bay, and $100,000 Lake Ontario, co-headline Friday afternoon’s card at Woodbine. The 1 1/16-mile Tapeta events are the curtain-closers for the eight-leg stakes Heritage Series.
The 2023 Ontario Sire Heritage Series features a total of four races – three opening legs and one final – for both 3-year-old colts & geldings and 3-year-old fillies. The total purse structure for the series is $800,000, offering three $100,000 preliminary legs per race, per division, along with a pair of $100,000 finals for both divisions.
At the end of the series, $70,000 in bonuses will be paid to the top three horses in each division based upon a points system (Details here: tip.ontarioracing.com/tip-stakes-program/).
Seven sophomore fillies, including Souper Sinclair, will take to the Tapeta in the Ashbridges Bay, slated as race eight.
Owned by Praven Sorenson and Mort Hall and trained by Philip Hall, the 3-year-old daughter of Souper Speedy-She Stands Proud will contest her seventh stakes contest.
The dark bay, who won this year’s Algoma Stakes in August, arrives at her latest engagement off a one-length score at six panels over the Tapeta on October 21.
Sent off at 6-1, Souper Sinclair rallied from fourth to take the lead in mid-stretch en route to the victory in 1:09.92.
“She came out of the race in great shape,” said Hall. “It’s been the plan for a while to run her in this race. She is a big, solid filly and she is getting better with age. I think she is going to have a big year next year too.”
Consistency has been a hallmark of the filly’s career.
Souper Sinclair, 3-2-3 from 14 lifetime starts, has posted a top-four finish in nine of her past 10 starts, a streak that includes two wins and three thirds.
“The distance is a bit of a question mark for her, but with the way she has been training, I don’t see why she couldn’t get that mile and a sixteenth,” said Hall. “You can give me a few like her to have in the barn. She is a very smart horse, great on race day, never gets worked up, and always gives an honest effort.”
Bred by the Estate of Gustav Schickedanz, Souper Sinclair launched her career with a sixth-place result in a six-furlong Tapeta race on August 6, 2022. After a second next time out in the Muskoka Stakes, she broke her maiden in a seven-furlong turf race on September 17 that year.
“She was such a big-boned horse that I didn’t even expect her to make it to the races as a 2-year-old. But she was still able to run some big races. She is developing. She still has some more filling out to do. I think having the winter off will really help her for next year.
“She is a real sweetheart around the barn, you wouldn’t even know she is there,” continued Hall. “She’s very easy on herself. But she’s tough to gallop. My daughter Sara works her, and they get along well. She has been getting on her for a while and she has done a great job with her.”
Steven Walcott is the groom.
Other starters include Kevin Attard trainees Fashionably Fab and Silent Sky, along with Wonder Where Stakes winner Tito’s Calling.
Seven starters, including multiple stakes winner Poulin in O T, and Elgin Stakes victor Rapid Test, will contest the Lake Ontario for 3-year-old colts and geldings.
First post time is 1:05 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com, bet365, and the Dark Horse Bets app.
Field for the Ashbridges Bay (Race 8)
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Souper Sinclair – Keveh Nicholls – Philip Hall
2 – Tito’s Calling – Sahin Civaci – Michael De Paulo
3 – Veri Gizmo – Kazushi Kimura – Josie Carroll
4 – Seattle Causeway – Leo Salles – John LeBlanc, Jr.
5 – Silent Sky – Patrick Husbands – Kevin Attard
6 – Great Kate – Ryan Munger – John Mattine
7 – Fashionably Fab – Patrick Husbands – Kevin Attard
Field for the Lake Ontario (Race 7)
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Souped Up – Rafael Hernandez – Ron Sadler
2 – Jim’s Hope – Sahin Civaci – Paul Buttigieg
3 – Poulin in O T – Ryan Munger – Steve Owens
4 – Rapid Test – Kazushi Kimura – Catherine Day Phillips
5 – Chasing Trouble – Patrick Husbands – Michelle Love
6 – Silent Miracle – Justin Stein – John Mattine
7 – Guns n’ Rojas – Leo Salles – Angus Buntain
