Woodbine Racetrack’s summer stakes programme continues on Sunday with the $100,000 Ballade Stakes drawing a competitive field of Ontario-sired fillies and mares over six furlongs on the main track, setting the stage for a compelling mid-season test of form and consistency.
Ballade Stakes 2026
Unbeaten in her last three starts, Little Teddy arrives with momentum and reputation firmly on her side as she targets a fourth stakes success in a race that has attracted nine entries.
The five-year-old mare, already a Sovereign Award winner as Canada’s Champion Female Sprinter, represents Santino Di Paola’s yard and continues to underline her standing as one of the most reliable sprinters in the country.
Trained by Santino Di Paola, the daughter of Frac Daddy out of Explosive Leah has compiled a strong 2025 campaign and carried that form forward with a sharp seasonal return this spring. Her recent progression has only strengthened confidence within the camp ahead of this latest assignment at Woodbine Racetrack.
Her 2025 season featured a 4-2-0 record from six starts, including notable stakes victories in the Zadracarta and Eternal Search, performances that confirmed her ability to handle both pace pressure and finishing demands at the highest local level.
Di Paola has often pointed to her Zadracarta Stakes performance as a defining moment, where she drew clear in commanding fashion and came within touching distance of a track record, highlighting the mare’s natural cruising speed and turn of foot.
The Ballade Stakes 2026 Woodbine preview naturally centres on her return, with connections optimistic that she is continuing to progress with age.
Her 2026 campaign began with a fluent three-quarter-length success over five furlongs in allowance optional company on May 9, a run that suggested she had returned in strong condition following her winter break.
Trainer Santino Di Paola noted that the effort came despite what he considered a limited fitness base at the time, adding that she still managed a strong figure against high-quality opposition, reinforcing belief that further improvement could still be ahead.
“She’s coming into this race a lot fitter than her last and I’m excited to see what she can do,” Di Paola said, reflecting confidence in her current condition and attitude in training.
Little Teddy’s career trajectory has been far from straightforward. After a modest debut in 2023, she quickly improved to win her next outing at long odds before ending her juvenile campaign with a respectable third in the Shady Well Stakes. The following year brought further progression, including a standout turf victory in the Georgian Bay Stakes, marking both her first start on grass and a significant milestone for her ownership team, York Tech Racing Stable.
That win also carried personal meaning for the Di Paola family operation, adding another layer of sentiment to her racing story.
Bred in Kentucky by Susan Rasmussen and H. Lothian, Little Teddy was purchased for $15,000 at the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society Yearling Sale, a modest investment that has since developed into a high-level stakes performer.
Her preparation for Sunday has included a series of consistent dirt works through June, culminating in a sharp three-furlong breeze on June 28, where she was timed in 37.60. Earlier gallops over longer distances suggested she has been maintaining her strength and fitness with ease.
Di Paola also revealed that her work schedule had been slightly more demanding earlier in the summer as part of a broader preparation plan aimed at higher-level targets, though he was quick to note that she has responded positively throughout.
“She thrived with the extra work,” he said, indicating that her recovery and enthusiasm remain key assets heading into this assignment.
The field assembled for the Ballade Stakes includes several established performers, ensuring Little Teddy will need to be at her best once again.
The Ballade Stakes also honours a significant name in Canadian breeding history, with Ballade, a daughter of Herbager, foaled in Kentucky and later purchased by E. P. Taylor before becoming part of the Windfields Farm legacy.
With form lines converging and several rivals capable of stepping forward, Sunday’s contest promises to provide a meaningful test of sprinting depth within Ontario’s restricted ranks, with Little Teddy once again positioned as the headline act.
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