Trainer Joe Sharp will send Stylish Sue across the border for the first time on Saturday as the progressive mare lines up against six rivals in the Grade 3 Belle Mahone Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack .
Belle Mahone Stakes 2026.
The $150,000 feature over 1 1/16 miles on the main track has attracted an accomplished field of older fillies and mares, but Stylish Sue arrives with solid credentials after producing one of the most convincing performances of her career earlier this spring.
The daughter of Nyquist, racing for Highland Training Center, comes into the Woodbine contest following victory in the Listed Latonia Stakes at Turfway Park in March, where she dominated from the front under Irad Ortiz Jr. to score by 4¼ lengths.Joe Sharp believes the trip and conditions are likely to suit the five-year-old well as she attempts to add a graded stakes success to her résumé.
“I think a flat mile to a mile and a sixteenth is probably what suits her best,” said Sharp. “She’s coming into the race doing fantastic. Obviously, we wouldn’t come up there if we weren’t confident in how she’s doing.”
Stylish Sue has gradually developed into a dependable performer since beginning her career in 2024. After failing to make an impact in her first two outings at Fair Grounds, she registered her maiden victory at Horseshoe Indianapolis in a one-mile turf contest before progressing steadily through tougher company.
Her latest appearance resulted in a fifth-place finish in the Modesty Stakes at Churchill Downs, a run Sharp viewed as below her true standard.
“That was a bit frustrating,” the trainer admitted. “I think she is a better filly than that. I think the race she ran in the Latonia is more indicative of who she actually is.”
The Kentucky-bred mare has earned more than $460,000 from 15 starts and has shown versatility across surfaces during her career. Saturday’s Belle Mahone Stakes 2026 assignment will also mark her first race outside the United States.
Sharp has kept preparations straightforward ahead of the journey north, with Stylish Sue recording maintenance breezes at Turfway Park in recent weeks, including four-furlong workouts in :52.00 and :49.20.
“She’s doing well and doing the same routine,” Sharp noted.
Beyond Stylish Sue’s credentials, Saturday’s Belle Mahone Stakes has assembled an intriguing mix of proven class and emerging form, adding further depth to one of Woodbine’s notable early-season contests. Mark Casse, a perennial force at the Toronto oval, saddles both No Time and Elysian Field, giving the Hall of Fame trainer a strong hand in the seven-runner field. Elysian Field, in particular, brings graded-level experience into the race and is expected to appreciate the distance, while No Time has shown consistency against solid opposition.
Equitas also enters the contest with valuable local experience under Emma-Jayne Wilson, a combination that could prove significant around Woodbine’s main track. Deloraine and Hurricane Clair add further competitiveness to the line-up, ensuring there appears to be no straightforward task for the visitors. With several runners capable of racing prominently, the early pace could play an important role in shaping the outcome over the 1 1/16-mile journey. The Belle Mahone has often produced performances that resonate well beyond the spring season, and this year’s renewal again carries the feel of a race likely to influence the older filly and mare division through the summer months.
Rafael Hernandez takes the mount from post six in a field that also includes Mark Casse-trained pair No Time and Elysian Field. Emma-Jayne Wilson partners Equitas for trainer Mike De Paulo, while Deloraine, Power of Destiny and Hurricane Clair complete the lineup.
The Belle Mahone Stakes carries historical significance at Woodbine, taking its name from Belle Mahone, winner of the 1917 King’s Plate under Frank Robinson.First race post time at Woodbine on Saturday is scheduled for 1:20 p.m.
For Joe Sharp, another Woodbine success would further underline the stable’s growing influence outside its traditional American circuit. The trainer enjoyed a notable result at the Canadian track earlier this season when Mony Mony captured the Star Shoot Stakes, and connections will be hopeful Stylish Sue can continue that momentum on Saturday afternoon. Purchased for $150,000 at the 2023 Texas Thoroughbred Association Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, the mare has steadily rewarded patience, developing from a lightly regarded prospect into a dependable stakes performer.
Her front-running display in the Latonia Stakes suggested a mare racing with renewed confidence, while her overall record reflects durability and adaptability across varying assignments. Saturday’s Belle Mahone Stakes 2026 test now presents an opportunity to secure the most significant victory of her career to date. A strong performance at Woodbine would not only enhance Stylish Sue’s graded résumé, but could also open the door to further high-profile opportunities later in the campaign as the North American summer racing calendar gathers momentum.
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