Speedy Freeze one cool customer in Algoma TORONTO, August 24, 2025 – Speedy Freeze, with Ryan Munger aboard, rallied from well off the pace as the slight 6-5 choice to win the $100,000 Algoma Stakes, Sunday at Woodbine. Trained by Ron Sadler, the 4-year-old daughter of Souper Speedy out of the Tejabo mare My Sweet Tooch arrived at the seven-furlong Algoma off a second, a neck behind the winner, in a one-mile inner turf race on August 1 at Woodbine. Souper Supreme and Hoodless were one-two at the outset, with the former taking her six rivals through an opening panel in :23.01, while Munger settled Speedy Freeze into sixth. Souper Supreme’s lead shrunk to a head after a half in :45.86, as a host of foes, including 7-5 Little Teddy, came calling just ahead of the turn for home. Little Teddy took over the proceedings with about 250 yards to the wire, but Speedy Freeze was full of run four-wide and swooped to the lead late to notch a 1 ¾-length score in a time of 1:22.63. Regal Moment, at 44-1, was third. Spirit Bear, sent off at 34-1, finished fourt “She makes your life easy,” praised Munger. “From the one-hole, obviously you are concerned because you don’t want to get stuck in a pocket, especially with a filly that comes from off the speed. She doesn’t have initial gate speed, but then I managed to quickly get her out. I just kind of followed them around. I said, ‘Okay, she is only going to start finding her feet the last eighth and she is going to run them down.’ And you know what? That’s what she did.”\ It was the first stakes appearance for the bay who is owned by Harri Hosein and Linda Theil. “I have so much confidence in this filly,” said Sadler. “I was terrified when she broke poorly. I have all the confidence in the world in Ryan. He just settled her in and bided his time, and when it was time to pull the trigger, they both pulled the trigger.” Speedy Freeze, now 3-3-2 from eight starts, paid $4.60 for the win. Bred in Ontario by John Carey, Speedy Freeze was a $21,000 (CDN) purchase at the 2022 CTHS Ontario Premier Yearling Sale Chris Lomon, Woodbine Souper Diva super in Muskoka Stakes score TORONTO, August 24, 2025 – Souper Diva, under Jose Campos, took control early and then powered home late to take Sunday’s $200,000 Muskoka Stakes at Woodbine. After a ninth last time out in the My Dear Stakes on July 12, the daughter of Souper Speedy out of the Sharp Humor mare Secret Chords was much the best in the 6 ½-furlong sprint over the main track. Sent on her way at 14-1, Souper Diva was off and running seconds after the start, as 9-5 choice Pageant Queen, who also broke sharply, settled into second spot. The Steven Chircop trainee was two lengths in front of Pageant Queen after an opening quarter in :22.94 and stretched that advantage to 2 ½ lengths through a half in :45.33. Still running confidently, comfortably and unfettered on the front end, Souper Diva dashed away from her pursuers rounding the turn for home. Ahead by 3 ½ lengths at the stretch call, the dark bay powered to the wire a 4 ¼-length winner in a time of 1:16.83. Pageant Queen was second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Superfly Chick. Fleury was fourth. Sipping History was a vet scratch at the gate. Live Each Day was also a scratch. “I wouldn’t say totally surprised [about the win],” said Chircop. “I think you can throw out her last race – she had a good excuse, and the horse was breezing really, really good coming up into this race.” “In my mind, I have a lot of confidence in the filly,” said Campos, who was aboard for the first time. “The filly, she broke so easily on the lead, so I just let the filly go. At the quarter-pole, when no one was coming, I said, ‘It’s time to run’ and the filly gave me everything she had.” Bred by Northern Dawn Stables Inc., Souper Diva was a $23,000 purchase at the 2024 CTHS Ontario Premier Yearling Sale. “We were all at the sales last year and we said let’s pool some money together,” said Dave Delellis, part of the 6 Deep Stable ownership group. “Steve has done a wonderful job picking them. “I was in the game maybe 30 years ago with Molinaro Stables. I met Steve, and it’s been amazing. I didn’t expect this, but we’ll take it. I’m sure we will be shopping.” Souper Diva, 2-0-0 from four starts, returned $31.70 for the Muskoka victory. Chris Lomon, Woodbine Big Bold and First exactly that in Simcoe Stakes TORONTO, August 24, 2025 – Big Bold and First, one of three hopefuls trained by Bill Tharrenos, took charge at the outset and never looked back in Sunday’s $200,000 Simcoe Stakes at Woodbine. Sent on his way at 29-1, the third longest shot in the field of 10, Big Bold and First, under Jose Campos, went to the front soon after the gates sprung, and settled into stride, followed by Highwaytothemoon and stablemates Bank On Big Winner and Silver Is Best. Ahead by two lengths after a quarter in :22.28, the son of Signature Red out of the Essence of Dubai mare Essence of Silver maintained that advantage through a half in :44.64. Campos kept his charge to task as several rivals ratcheted up the pressure into the turn for home, but the duo continued to dig in down the lane, going on to notch a three-quarter length win in 1:17.33. Speights Will, who came with a spirited late run, finished second, a neck ahead of Highwaytothemoon. Found Money was fourth. “We worked the horse last week, the horse worked hard, so, in my opinion, I thought the horse was going to have a chance,” said Campos, who also went wire-to-wire with Souper Diva in the Muskoka Stakes earlier on the card. “The horse ran hard and gave me everything in the race. Good horses make good jockeys.” “I know this horse is really quick and I said, ‘David (jockey, Moran, aboard Silver Is Best, who was sixth), be ready at the quarter-pole and try to pick them all up,’” said Tharrenos. “And I thought Bank On Big Winner (ninth) was going to give a good run today and they all proved me wrong.” Big Bold and First broke his maiden in his second start, a half-length triumph at five furlongs (:59.66) over the Woodbine main track on June 29. He was fourth in his debut on June 15, a 4 ½-furlong sprint on the main track. Bred in Ontario by Howard Walton and owned by Michael Coll, the bay gelding was a $5,000 (CDN) purchase at the 2024 Canadian Premier Yearling Sale. He paid $60 for today’s win. Chris Lomon, Woodbine Friendly Ghost scares up Elgin Stakes triumph TORONTO, August 24, 2025 – Friendly Ghost, making his first start in 351 days, rallied impressively to take top prize in Sunday’s $100,000 Elgin Stakes at Woodbine. Trained by Evette Chartrand-Hoek for owner Sue Leslie, the dark bay, who was contesting his third career stakes event, arrived at the seven-furlong test over the main track off a third in a one-mile inner turf event on September 7, 2024. The gelding showed no signs of ring rust in his return to action. Criminal Intent was joined to his outside by Its Time to Shine, as the duo duked it out through an opening quarter in a lively :22.26, while Sahin Civaci, aboard Friendly Ghost, positioned his charge in seventh of nine. The frontrunning duo continued to clash through a half in :44.16, with little separation between the two, as Friendly Ghost, still seventh along the rail, had plenty of work to do. Rounding the turn for home, Summer Commander loomed a major threat and struck front with about 230 yards to the wire. Friendly Ghost, out five-wide, continued to grind away under steady encouragement from Civaci and took over with 70 yards left to the finish line. At the wire, Friendly Ghost, a son of Outwork out of the Ghostzapper mare Kin’s Ghost, was a 2 ½-length winner. Summer Commander held second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Shadow Realm. Regal Guest finished fourth. The final time was 1:21.82. “There was some screaming going on up in the (owner’s box) area, I’ll tell you that,” said Leslie. “It kind of set up for him and Civaci did a great job. We will be patient with him this year. We got a little overly rambunctious with him last year – that won’t happen this year. He will get the time he needs now and hopefully he can do some nice things in the fall for us.” Leslie also praised Chartrand-Hoek, who hails from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. “She is tremendously excited, believe me,” continued Leslie, of the conditioner whose first Woodbine win came on August 15, 2020, when she saddled Choose Hope (owned by Leslie) to victory in the second race on the card. “She is a terrific, terrific trainer. I wish more people would send her horses.” Third in the 2024 Plate Trial Stakes and eleventh in that year’s King’s Plate, Friendly Ghost, whose barn name is Casper, in a nod to the beloved cartoon character, was a $46,000 (CDN) purchase at the 2022 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale. Bred by Phoenix Rising Farms, Friendly Ghost is now 2-1-2 from six starts. He paid $9.10 for today’s win. The 2025 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale (www.cthsont.com/sale) begins at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday at the Woodbine Sales Pavilion. Chris Lomon, Woodbine Share This:Share
