Little Teddy and Lady in Red lead Woodbine’s Eternal Search Stakes contenders

On a crisp autumn afternoon at Woodbine, the excitement is building for one of the turf season’s most anticipated events: the Eternal Search Stakes. At the heart of the buzz are Santino Di Paola’s talented pair, Little Teddy and Lady in Red, both poised to leave their mark on the 7 ½-furlong inner turf contest for Ontario-sired fillies and mares, three-year-olds and up.

Little Teddy, fresh off a commanding victory in the Zadracarta Stakes, has captured the attention of racing fans with her sharp turn of foot and measured stride. The 4-year-old daughter of Frac Daddy has been a model of consistency, boasting three wins and two seconds in her last five starts. Her five-furlong triumph on September 21, a near-track record performance over firm going, left observers marveling at her turf potential. “She moves like a turf horse,” said Di Paola. “Short, to the ground, with that little stride of hers. Austin (Adams) rode her perfectly — patient, smooth, and then she exploded down the lane. It was a thrill to watch.”

Little Teddy’s rise has been steady. After a modest seventh in her debut at two, she shocked the crowd with a 48-1 victory in her next start and closed out her juvenile campaign with a third in the Shady Well Stakes. Her 2024 season highlighted her first stakes victory in the Georgian Bay, giving York Tech Racing Stable its inaugural Woodbine stakes triumph. Now, with six career wins and more than $319,000 in earnings, she remains a strong contender on Saturday.

Her stablemate, Lady in Red, brings a different narrative — a seasoned campaigner at six years old, who finished sixth in last year’s Eternal Search. The daughter of D’s Wando has shown flashes of brilliance, including a runner-up effort over a mile on the inner turf in September. “She’s one tough cookie,” Di Paola noted. “If she breaks right and gets into her rhythm, she can surprise a lot of people. Last year, she led to the sixteenth pole, so with some patience, she could be right there at the wire.”

Other notable entrants include graded stakes winner Fashionably Fab, stakes victors Olivia Rose and War Painter, and graded stakes-placed Talk to Ya Later. The race honors the remarkable Eternal Search, a three-time Canadian champion who retired with 15 stakes wins and a career record of 18-11-2 from 44 starts.

First post for the day is 1:05 p.m., with fans able to wager through HPIbet.com and Bet365. Wagering options for the Eternal Search include Rolling Double, Exacta, .20 Trifecta, .20 Superfecta, .20 Pick 3, and $1 Swinger.

Field for the Eternal Search Stakes – Race 9: