TORONTO, October 17, 2020 – Live Oak Plantation’s two-year-old filly Souper Sensational kept her record perfect with a stunning score on Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack while giving Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse a record ninth Glorious Song Stakes title.
Jockey Patrick Husbands sent the 3-5 favourite to the lead through a first quarter in :22.76 in the seven-furlong main track sprint. Heidi (Daisuke Fukumoto) pressed the pacesetter to the half in :45.78 with Rocket Reload (Justin Stein) looming outside, but Souper Sensational left them all in the dust down the lane as she kicked four lengths clear to score in 1:21.84.
“She’s on her game right now and I don’t want to disappoint her. I want to ride her like the best horse,” said Husbands of his front-end strategy.
Souper Sensational paid $3.20 to win. Javanica (Emma-Jayne Wilson) won the race for place as she closed along the rail from the back, while another Casse trainee, Right to Freedom (Rafael Hernandez), bested the late-closing Charlie’s Penny (Kazushi Kimura) for third prize after stalking the winner throughout.
“I don’t want to be smart, but she’s one of the best so far I’ve got on as a two-year-old,” praised Husbands, who noted he was immediately impressed by the filly in her morning works and was aboard for her 2-1/4 length winning debut on September 26. “All this horse has got is ‘green light.’ You could do anything with her. She’s just a three-year-old in a two-year-old body.”
Bred in Kentucky by Newtownanner Stud, the daughter of Curlin was a $725,000 yearling purchase at the Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Select Sale. She is the third foal out of the Indian Charlie mare Kateri, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Tiz Miz Sue and 2018 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Bulletin.
Casse and Husbands, who is now a seven-time winner of the Glorious Song, have teamed up for five of their wins. Live Oak Plantation has won this event three times in partnership with Casse, starting with Let It Ride Mom (Rafael Hernandez) in 2016 and Souper Charlotte (Eurico Rosa Da Silva) in 2018.
The victory in Saturday’s featured event gave Casse his fourth win through the first eight races on the card.
Live Thoroughbred racing continues on Sunday with a stellar stakes program featuring the $600,000 E. P. Taylor Stakes (Grade 1) and the $300,000 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes presented by Pattison (Grade 1). The $250,000 Nearctic (Grade 2) and $100,000 Display complete the stakes line-up. First race post time is set for 1:10 p.m.
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PHOTOS: Souper Sensational and jockey Patrick Husbands winning the $100,000 Glorious Song Stakes on Saturday, Oct. 17 at Woodbine Racetrack. (Michael Burns Photo)
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