There are wins that show class, and then there are wins that speak from the heart. For trainer Santino Di Paola, Saturday’s Eternal Search Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack was one of the latter. His pride and joy, Little Teddy, delivered yet another polished performance — and did so just days after the stable suffered a personal loss.
Guided confidently by Austin Adams, the talented four-year-old filly reaffirmed her status among Ontario’s best with a commanding victory in the $100,000 Eternal Search Stakes, restricted to Ontario-sired fillies and mares, aged three and up.
A Confident Ride and a Classy Finish
Breaking smoothly from her gate, Little Teddy settled nicely into third behind her stablemate Lady in Red and the pace-setting Olivia Rose, who crossed from the far outside to dictate early fractions. The early tempo was lively — :23.50 for the quarter and :47.72 for the half — with Olivia Rose holding sway and Little Teddy biding her time under a patient Adams.
As they rounded the far turn, Adams asked his mount to quicken, and Little Teddy responded in kind. Drawing alongside Olivia Rose in mid-stretch, she asserted her dominance with poise, pulling away to win by 1Âľ lengths in 1:30.84 over good ground. Olivia Rose held second, two lengths ahead of Fashionably Fab, with War Painter completing the top four.
“She’s such a professional now,” said Adams post-race. “I wasn’t worried about the distance — she can do anything. She takes time to find her stride, but once she does, she just keeps coming. Today was a perfect example of that.”
Growth, Maturity, and a Touch of Emotion
For Di Paola, who trains Little Teddy for his parents’ York Tech Stable (Carmen and Raffaela Di Paola), the win carried deep emotional resonance.
“It’s been a tough week,” he admitted, his voice catching. “My uncle Tony passed away, and this one’s for him. I wish he could’ve been here to see it.”
Since her debut season in 2023, Little Teddy has evolved remarkably — both in form and physique. “From last year to this year, she’s put on over 100 pounds of muscle,” said Di Paola. “She’s matured into a real athlete, and she loves the turf.”
That love affair with grass was clear last month when she scorched the inner turf in the Zadracarta Stakes, stopping the clock in :55.63, just shy of the track record.
A Star Born from Modest Beginnings
Purchased for just $15,000 (CDN) at the 2022 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale, Little Teddy — a daughter of Frac Daddy out of Explosive Leah (Silent Name [JPN]) — has blossomed into a formidable stakes performer.
Her career record now stands at 7 wins, 4 seconds, and 2 thirds from 15 starts, with her latest success cementing her reputation as one of the most consistent turf mares in Ontario.
“She’s our dream horse,” said Di Paola. “Every race she gives everything — and today, she gave us a moment we’ll never forget.”
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