TORONTO, July 2, 2026 – Little Teddy, unbeaten in her past three starts, goes after her fourth stakes success in Sunday’s $100,000 Ballade, at Woodbine. A 6-furlong main track event for Ontario-sired fillies & mares, 4-year-olds and upward, the Ballade has attracted nine hopefuls, including Little Teddy, last year’s Sovereign Award winner as Canada’s Champion Female Sprinter. Trained by Santino Di Paola, the 5-year-old daughter of Frac Daddy out of the Silent Name (JPN) mare Explosive Leah went 4-2-0 from six starts in 2025, a season that was highlighted by stakes wins in the Zadracarta and Eternal Search. “I think the Zadracarta Stakes stands out from last year,” said Di Paola. “It was an Ontario-bred stakes race and the way she just drew off and just missed the track record was just so impressive.” The roan mare kicked off her 2026 campaign with a sharp three-quarter length victory in a 5-furlong allowance optional claiming race on May 9. Little Teddy and jockey Austin Adams winning Race 8 on May 9, 2026 at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo) “I think the most impressive aspect was her being 70 percent fit and running a 94 Beyer off the layoff and beating a Grade 2 winner who was winter raced,” said Di Paola. “It kind of makes me think the sky’s the limit for her this year. “Anytime you get to walk into the Woodbine winner’s stakes circle, if it’s for an Ontario-sired stakes race or graded, it’s the same incredible walk over and experience. I’m hoping the team gets to make that walk on Sunday.” After a seventh in her 2023 career debut, Little Teddy won her next start, at 48-1, before concluding her 2-year-old campaign with a third in the Shady Well Stakes. In 2024, Little Teddy won the 5-furlong Georgian Bay Stakes, in what was her first start on the turf. It was also the first Woodbine stakes win for owner York Tech Racing Stable, nom du course of Di Paola’s parents, Carmen and Raffaela Di Paola. The conditioner is hoping for a repeat of that moment on Sunday. “She’s coming into this race a lot fitter than her last and I’m excited to see what she can do and where we go from there.” Bred by Susan Rasmussen and H. Lothian, Little Teddy was a $15,000 (CDN) purchase at the 2022 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale. Joey Di Paola is the groom. Recent works: Little Teddy took to the dirt training work for a quartet of June works, ranging from 3 furlongs to 5 panels. Her most recent move was a 3-furlong breeze in :37.60 on June 28. “I was prepping her for the Royal North Stakes (G2T) to be honest with you,” said Di Paola, of the 7 ½-furlong race won by Shifty on June 27. “So, I was pushing on her fitness level pretty hard, and she actually thrived with the extra work. “Two weeks out, we had our big breeze, and I think she went :58:40, 1:11:1 on the gallop out with Austin [jockey, Adams] on by herself. It was impressive to watch and even more impressive that it took nothing out of her. Her last work was just a happy gallop like she normally does coming into these races.” Fast Facts: Foaled in Kentucky, Ballade, a daughter of Herbager, was bred by Bob Byfield. She was purchased by E. P. Taylor for $55,000 (USD) from the 1973 Keeneland July Yearling Sale and spent her entire racing and breeding careers at the property of his Windfields Farm. The race is part of Ontario Racing’s (TIP) Ontario Sires Stakes Program. https://tip.ontarioracing.com/tip-stakes-program/ Wagering menu for the Ballade: Includes Rolling Double / Exacta / 0.20 Trifecta / 0.20 Superfecta / 0.20 Pick 3 (Races 10-11-12) / $1 Swinger Field for the $100,000 Ballade Stakes Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer 1 – Foresters Exec – Fraser Aebly – Patrick Dixon 2 – Olivia Rose – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse 3 – Little Teddy – Austin Adams – Santino Di Paola 4 – Cara Cara (S) – Romero Ramsay Maragh – John Mattine 5 – Give Me the Boots – Ryan Munger – Richard Morden 6 – Sinclairity – Pietro Moran – Kevin Attard 7 – Speedy Freeze – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Ron Sadler 8 – Minimum Forty – Eswan Flores – Robert Tiller 9 – Home for a Rest – Daisuke Fukumoto – Robert Tiller -30- Chris Lomon, Woodbine Share This:Share
