Campos sweeps juvenile stakes on pair of longshots
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Jockey Jose Campos swept both 2-year-old stakes for graduates of Canadian yearling sales on Sunday’s Woodbine card on a pair of front-running longshot’s – Big Bold and First in the $201,000 Simcoe and Souper Diva in the $200,000 Muskoka.
Big Bold and First ($60) prevailed by three-quarters of a length over a charging Speights Will, while completing the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.33. Favored Highwaytothemoon wound up third in the 10-horse field of colts and geldings.
“The horse ran hard,” Campos said. “The horse gave me everything in the race. Good horses make good jockeys.”
Big Bold and First earned $120,000 for owner Mike Coll, who paid just $5,000 for the son of Signature Red at the 2024 Canadian Premier Yearling Sale at Woodbine.
“I knew this horse is really quick,” said trainer Bill Tharrenos, who sent out two other more fancied unplaced runners in the Simcoe.
Souper Diva ($31.70) darted out to a clear lead under Campos and never looked back to land the $200,000 Muskoka for fillies by 4 1/4 lengths over Pageant Queen, who inherited the role of favoritism when her stablemate, Sipping History, was scratched at the gate. Superfly Chick checked in third in the eight-horse field.
Souper Diva covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.83. Trained by Steve Chircop, the daughter of Souper Speedy graduated second time out and was coming off a trailing ninth in the July 12 My Dear Stakes. The Muskoka was her first race with Lasix.
“I think you coulda thrown out her last race – she had a good excuse,” Chircop recalled. “She was breezing really good going into this race. She had a lot of time to recover from her last race.”
Speedy Freeze takes Altima
Speedy Freeze rallied stoutly from far back to land her stakes debut in the $100,000 Algoma for 3- and 4-year-old fillies under Ryan Munger.
A $23,500 claim last fall by trainer Ron Sadler, Speedy Freeze overcame a sluggish start to catch Little Teddy in deep stretch en route to a 1 3/4-length score, in a time of 1:22.63 for the seven furlongs.
Speedy Freeze ($4.60) was bet down to favoritism around the time the gate opened, over the morning line favorite Little Teddy. She earned $60,000 for the partnership of Linda Theil and Harri Hosein.
“She makes your life easy,” Munger said. “From the one-hole, obviously you’re concerned because you don’t want to get stuck in a pocket. She doesn't have initial gate speed, but then I managed quickly to get her out and then I was sitting behind (Little Teddy). I couldn't believe my luck. I followed her around. I saw her shoot at the top of the lane. I thought (Speedy Freeze) is only going to start finding the last eighth and she’s going to run them down, and that’s what she did.”
Friendly Ghost won the male equivalent of the Algoma, the $100,500 Elgin, with a powerful stretch kick under Sahin Civaci.
Friendly Ghost was 7-1 in the gate before ending up the 7-2 favorite when crossing the line 2 1/2 lengths clear of Summer Commander. Shadow Realm finished third in the ninth-horse field.
Friendly Ghost ran the seven-furlong distance in a quick 1:21.82.
A son of Outwork trained by Evette Chartrand-Hoek, Friendly Ghost returned $9.10 and banked $60,000 for owner Sue Leslie. The gelding finished third in last year’s Plate Trial Stakes before ending up 11th in the King’s Plate. He had been out of action since September.
“We got a little over rambunctious with him last year,” Leslie said. “That won’t happen this year. He’ll get the time he needs now. Hopefully, he can do some nice things in the fall for us.”
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