A change of equipment and a patient ride combined to produce one of the biggest surprises of the afternoon at Woodbine Racetrack on Sunday, as Souper Sporty charged home to claim The Georgian Bay Stakes at odds of 18-1.
The victory marked the first stakes success for the three-year-old filly and provided a memorable Father’s Day triumph for jockey Fraser Aebly, who guided the Ontario-bred to a decisive late-running victory in the second leg of the Ontario Sired Heritage Series.
Georgian Bay Stakes Result.
Reunited with Aebly, who had previously partnered the daughter of Souper Speedy out of Sport’n Forty to a black-type placing in the Frost King Stakes, Souper Sporty broke from post five and brushed lightly with Vegas Road leaving the gate.
Despite the early contact, Aebly quickly settled his mount along the rail and secured third position behind race favourite Souper Diva and Sipping History. The leading pair set a demanding pace, covering the opening quarter-mile in 21.82 seconds.
Approaching the turn, Souper Sporty continued to travel comfortably while tracking the front-runners. Aebly waited patiently before angling the filly into the clear at the top of the stretch, allowing her to launch a sustained challenge down the outside.
The move proved decisive. Trained by Mike DePaulo, Souper Sporty steadily wore down Sipping History before accelerating clear inside the final sixteenth of a mile. Under strong encouragement from Aebly, she crossed the line 1¾ lengths in front after completing the five-furlong inner turf contest in 56.86 seconds.
Souper Diva stayed on gamely to secure second, while Sipping History finished third. Vegas Road was fourth, followed by Artful Diamond, Money Heist and Hot Stuff Baby.
A delighted Aebly reflected on the performance after the race, noting how well the filly settled once she found cover behind the leaders.
“She settled great. I kind of let her run out of there four or five jumps. Soon as those horses got in front of us, she settled right perfect for me,” he said.
“Soon as I kind of got her out in the clear, she had a really good turn of foot for me today. It was nice to see.”
The victory represented a significant breakthrough for Souper Sporty, who entered the Georgian Bay Stakes with only a maiden victory and a stakes placing from her previous nine starts. Her first two outings as a three-year-old had failed to produce the desired results, prompting DePaulo to make a pair of key adjustments ahead of the race.
The filly completed a four-furlong turf workout at Woodbine on June 5 and was also fitted with blinkers for the first time. The Georgian Bay Stakes additionally marked her debut on grass, a surface her trainer had long believed would suit her running style.
“We were thinking she was going to take to the grass. We’ve been training her to go a mile and a sixteenth,” said DePaulo.
“It’s kind of goofy, we put blinkers on her and asked the jock to come off the pace. But it worked so we’ll take it.”
Bred in Ontario by Phoenix Rising Farms and racing for Zilli Racing Stables, Souper Sporty improved her record to 10 starts with two victories and two third-place finishes. Her success in the Georgian Bay Stakes provided a deserved reward for connections after a series of encouraging but inconsistent performances.
The Souper Sporty Georgian Bay Stakes victory may also signal the emergence of a promising turf performer for the remainder of the Ontario racing season.
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