The Canadian Triple Tiara will reach its decisive final stage at Woodbine on Sunday, September 6, with the Wonder Where Stakes set to bring the series to a close. The $250,000 feature will see six three-year-old Canadian-bred fillies take on 1¼ miles on the E.P. Taylor turf, with Katie’s Grace arriving after her Bison City Stakes success and Luster carrying two major wins into the final leg.
Eligible Ontario-breds will also have a $100,000 bonus available, adding further significance to the final race of the series.
Katie’s Grace will headline the Wonder Where Stakes
Katie’s Grace will arrive at the Wonder Where Stakes after securing the second leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, the Bison City Stakes, on August 8.
Trained by Catherine Day Phillips for Chivalry Thoroughbred Racing LLC and Hubert Vester, Katie’s Grace will make her first start on turf. She will enter the race after winning the 1 1/16-mile Bison City Stakes by two lengths on the main track.
The extra distance will be expected to suit Katie’s Grace, while the long E.P. Taylor stretch will provide an important test. The course will offer a 1,440-foot run from the start of the stretch to the finish.
Her pedigree will also make the move to turf an interesting factor. Katie’s Grace will be by Independence Hall out of Bella Joy, a mare by Kitten’s Joy.
Katie’s Grace will carry a record of two wins, two seconds and one third from eight starts into her fifth consecutive stakes appearance.
Katie’s Grace will bring strong Woodbine form
Katie’s Grace will have plenty of experience at Woodbine before taking on the Wonder Where Stakes.
She will have won her debut at the track last September in a seven-furlong maiden special weight for two-year-olds. After veering out at the start, she will have settled in mid-pack before making her move in the stretch and securing a half-length victory in 1:25.13.
She will have followed that effort with a third-place finish in the Mazarine Stakes (G3) on November 2 and a runner-up finish in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes later that month.
After spending the winter in Ocala with Ellen Kim, Katie’s Grace will have returned for her three-year-old campaign with several solid efforts.
She will have finished fifth in a seven-furlong allowance optional claimer before taking fourth in the Fury Stakes over the same distance and course on June 6. She will then have finished second in the Selene Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on June 27 before finishing fourth in the Woodbine Oaks just over three weeks later.
Her preparation for the Wonder Where Stakes will also include two recent workouts. She will have covered four furlongs in :49.20 on August 22 before recording :48.20 on August 29.
Ryan Munger will have partnered Katie’s Grace in both workouts. Blinkers will have been added for the latest session, with the filly expected to arrive at the race in good condition.
Luster will add further strength to the Wonder Where Stakes
Luster will also bring strong recent form into the Wonder Where Stakes.
Trained by Josie Carroll for Gainesway Stable’s Antony Beck and Andrew Rosen, Luster will arrive after winning the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Stella Artois on July 19.
She will have added another major victory in The King’s Plate on August 15. Those performances will give Luster a strong profile as she prepares for the final leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara.
The remaining runners will be Bold Time, Dixie Law, Ashlee B, La Culasse and Cool Times.
Fraser Aebly will ride Bold Time for Josie Carroll, while Pietro Moran will partner Dixie Law for Dale Desruisseaux.
Jalon Samuel will take the mount on Ashlee B for Patrick Dixon. Luis Reyes will ride La Culasse for Kevin Attard, while Rafael Hernandez will partner Cool Times for Katerina Vassilieva.
Wonder Where Stakes will continue Canadian racing history
The Wonder Where Stakes will bring the Canadian Triple Tiara to its conclusion and will add another chapter to the history of the series.
The race will be named after Wonder Where, the champion filly who will have been named Canada’s Horse of the Year in 1959 and will later have been inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
Sealy Hill, Canada’s Horse of the Year in 2007, will have become the first filly to complete the Canadian Triple Tiara since the series was established in 1999.
Northern Queen will have won the inaugural running of the series in 1965.
The 2026 Wonder Where Stakes will therefore provide the final opportunity for the six Canadian-bred fillies to secure the Canadian Triple Tiara. The race will cover 1¼ miles on the E.P. Taylor turf at Woodbine.
Summary: Wonder Where Stakes will crown the Canadian Triple Tiara winner
The Wonder Where Stakes will decide the final leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara at Woodbine on Sunday, September 6. Katie’s Grace will make her first turf start after winning the Bison City Stakes, while Luster will arrive after victories in the Woodbine Oaks and The King’s Plate. The $250,000 feature will cover 1¼ miles on the E.P. Taylor turf.
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