The Victorian Queen 2026 will draw seven promising Ontario-sired two-year-old fillies to Woodbine on Sunday, September 13, for a 6½-furlong stakes contest carrying a $150,000 prize. The race will form one of the principal attractions of the programme and will provide an important examination of a developing generation of Canadian-bred talent. Among the most closely watched runners will be the Steven Chircop-trained pair of Stunningly Perfect and Awesome Grace, both of whom will arrive with maiden victories already established in their early campaigns.
Victorian Queen 2026 Will Bring Chircop’s Leading Pair Into Focus
Stunningly Perfect, owned by Zilli Racing Stables, will enter the Victorian Queen 2026 after an emphatic maiden success over six furlongs on Woodbine’s main track. The daughter of Perfect Timber, out of the Uncle Mo mare Uncle’s Gem, will have demonstrated considerable ability when she records a commanding 7½-length victory in 1:11.88. Emma-Jayne Wilson will have partnered her in that success, while Jose Campos will take the mount for Sunday’s stakes engagement.
The filly will have already shown flashes of promise during her debut campaign. On July 26, she will have finished only half a length behind stablemate Awesome Grace in a six-furlong sprint. Her finishing effort and strong gallop-out will subsequently attract Chircop’s attention, prompting a private purchase of the Charles Fipke-bred filly on behalf of Zilli Racing Stables. Stunningly Perfect will still be regarded as a youngster with considerable room for development, particularly in terms of focus and racing maturity, but her underlying ability will make her an intriguing presence in the field.
Her preparation for the stakes assignment will also have included a four-furlong workout in :49.00 over Woodbine’s main track on September 6. The work will provide evidence of a filly being kept in sound condition as she approaches her first major stakes examination, while the step up to 6½ furlongs will offer another opportunity to assess her developing stamina.
Awesome Grace will provide Chircop with another credible contender. Owned by 6 Deep Stable and bred by Northern Dawn Stables Inc., the daughter of Souper Speedy, out of the Overanalyze filly Awesomeendswithme, will arrive with five starts and a record of one win, one second and one third. Her progression will have been gradual, with an initial fifth-place finish over five furlongs followed by second- and third-place efforts before she breaks through for a maiden victory.
That success will come on July 26 over six furlongs, where Awesome Grace will control the pace and prevail by half a length in 1:12.31. The performance will underline her ability to manage the rhythm of a race while retaining enough strength for the closing stages. Her experience will also distinguish her from some of the less seasoned fillies in the field.
Awesome Grace’s most recent appearance will come in the Muskoka Stakes on August 30, where she will finish eighth over 6½ furlongs. Chircop will subsequently report that the filly will have returned in good condition after another runner steps on her hind leg during the contest. The incident will not prevent her from returning to competition, and her earlier performances will ensure that she enters Sunday’s assignment with established credentials.
Chircop will regard Awesome Grace as the more physically mature of his two Victorian Queen representatives, while her greater racing experience will provide another advantage. Romero Ramsay Maragh will take the ride.
The remaining five runners will comprise Whitemudwest, Tweeternity, Champagne Sunday, Sarayu and Princess Orlaith. Rafael Hernandez, Da-Sean Gaskin, Skye Chernetz, Pietro Moran and Fraser Aebly will respectively partner those contenders. The field will consequently bring together a mixture of lightly raced fillies and youngsters with more established form, creating a potentially informative test over the intermediate distance.
Bull Page 2026 Will Add Another Juvenile Stakes Test
The Bull Page will complement the Victorian Queen 2026 with a six-horse contest for two-year-old colts and geldings. Longshot Leo will arrive as one of the most consistent contenders after recording four runner-up finishes from four starts for trainer Dale Desruisseaux and owners Robert Jack Dell and Jeremy West.
His latest effort will come in the Simcoe Stakes, where he will finish second over 6½ furlongs on the main track against Canadian-foaled two-year-olds. The son of Old Forester, bred by Anthony B. Russo and Leslie L. Russo, will have developed a reputation for reliability during his brief career and will now receive another opportunity to secure his first victory.
Longshot Leo will have been purchased for $10,000 CDN at the 2025 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale. Fraser Aebly will take the mount, while Troy Garnett will serve as his groom.
The Bull Page field will also include Souper Survivor, It Wasn’t a Bluff, War Emperor, Prince Shaman and King Kadooment. Emma-Jayne Wilson, Desean Bynoe, Romero Ramsay Maragh, Pietro Moran and Jose Campos will respectively partner the remaining contenders.
Both stakes will therefore provide an important platform for Woodbine’s emerging juvenile division, with the Victorian Queen 2026 carrying particular significance for seven fillies seeking to strengthen their credentials at stakes level.
The Victorian Queen 2026 will bring seven Ontario-sired two-year-old fillies together over 6½ furlongs at Woodbine, with Stunningly Perfect and Awesome Grace forming Steven Chircop’s two-pronged challenge. The Bull Page will add a six-horse contest for two-year-old colts and geldings, creating a strong Sunday programme for Woodbine’s developing young talent.
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