Little Teddy rolls under Austin Adams. (Michael Burns Photo)
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
TORONTO, Ont. – Multiple stakes winner Little Teddy, under Austin Adams, continued her fantastic form, this time in the $100,000 Eternal Search Stakes, for Ontario-sired fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, Saturday at Woodbine.
Multiple stakes winner Olivia Rose and Lady in Red, a stablemate of Little Teddy, showed plenty of early zip in the 7 ½-furlong inner turf feature with the former crossing over from the outside post 10 to take command into the first turn, while Little Teddy, sent on her way as the even-money choice, tucked into third, followed by Veery.
At the opening quarter, reached in :23.50, Olivia Rose was 3 ½ lengths clear of Lady in Red, who was a further 2 ½ lengths in front of Little Teddy.
Olivia Rose held a two-length advantage over Lady in Red through a half in :47.72, as Adams nudged Little Teddy, still in third, closer to the pacesetter.
Around the turn for home, Little Teddy was given her cue from Adams, as Olivia Rose dug in for the challenge along the rail. Midway down the lane, Little Teddy put away her rival and then powered home without having to look in the rear-view mirror, hitting the wire 1 ¾ lengths in front. Olivia Rose was second, two lengths ahead of Fashionably Fab. War Painter check in fourth.
The final time over good ground was 1:30.84.
“I actually wasn’t worried about the 7 ½ [furlongs] at all,” said Adams. “She is a very versatile horse. Even in those shorter races, she usually takes time to find her legs and she comes running at pace anyway. So, I thought this was going to work out perfectly and it did.”
Trained by Santino Di Paola for his parents’ York Tech Stable, nom du course of Carmen and Raffaela Di Paola, the 4-year-old roan filly has four wins and a pair of seconds in her past six starts.
She came into the Eternal Search off an authoritative victory in the Zadracarta Stakes, a five-furlong inner turf event for Ontario-bred fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, on September 21.
The final time of :55.63 over firm going was just shy of the track record of :55.40 set by Silent Flash on June 17, 2022.
“He (Adams) stalked the pace, and he rode an awesome race [today],” praised Di Paola. “She loves the turf. From last year to this year, she has probably put on over 100 pounds of muscle. She has grown up a lot and matured.”
It was an emotional win for Di Paola, whose uncle, Tony Di Paola, passed away earlier in the week.
“I love my uncle so much,” said the conditioner. “We’re going to miss him a lot. I wish he was here to see this one.”
After a seventh to launch her career in 2023, Little Teddy won next time out, at 48-1, before concluding her 2-year-old season with a third in the Shady Well Stakes.
Her 2024 season, which saw her compile a 2-2-1 record from six races, was punctuated by her first stakes crown, the breakthrough coming in the Georgian Bay. It was also the first Woodbine stakes crown for York Tech Racing Stable.
The daughter of Frac Daddy out of the Silent Name (JPN) mare Explosive Leah, whose groom is Di Paola’s brother, Joey, is now 7-4-2 from 15 starts.
A $15,000 (CDN) purchase at the 2022 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale, Little Teddy, bred by Susan Rasmussen and H. Lothian, paid $4.10 for her latest victory.
