Souped Up secured the biggest victory of the career at Woodbine Racetrack on Saturday, edging Western Whirl in a tightly contested finish to the $175,000 Grade 3 Bold Venture Stakes over 6½ furlongs on the main Tapeta track.
Souped Up won the Bold Venture Stakes after a determined stretch battle that went down to a photo finish.
The six-year-old Ontario-bred gelding, ridden by Emma-Jayne Wilson and trained by Ron Sadler, recorded a winning time of 1:17.06 to claim a first stakes victory. The narrow success also pushed career earnings beyond $400,000.
Western Whirl was quickest into the early stages and remained prominent as Souped Up tracked closely behind. Poulin in O T was also involved in the pace as the field of seven raced through fractions of 23.10 seconds, 46.30 seconds and 1:10.58.
The complexion of the race changed approaching the final turn. Four runners were closely grouped before Souped Up and Western Whirl began to separate themselves from the others.
They entered the straight together and fought stride for stride all the way to the finish, with Souped Up finding just enough in the closing strides to prevail by a narrow margin.
The victory marked a significant milestone for Sadler and the connections of Souped Up. The runner, a son of Souper Speedy out of the Pure Prize mare Jevina, was bred by Chris and John Harris.
Notorious Gangster, ridden by Rafael Hernandez, finished third, while Its Bourbon Thirty, partnered by Pietro Moran, completed the first four.
For Wilson, the result also carried a personal connection. The jockey had partnered Souped Up earlier in the career and returned to the saddle for another important chapter in the horse’s development.
The Bold Venture Stakes success gives Souped Up a notable stakes win at a key point in the season and adds another strong performance to an established Woodbine career.
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