Duckduckduck prevails in Lake Huron; Souper Sporty triumphs in Georgian Bay
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Speed players Wine After Whiskey and Quadzilla were all the rage in the betting in Sunday’s $100,000 Lake Huron Stakes at Woodbine, but it was longshot Duckduckduck who prevailed in the five-furlong inner-turf dash for Ontario-sired male 3-year-olds.
With Pietro Moran aboard, Duckduckduck broke on top before settling into a three-wide stalking position behind the leaders. Wine After Whiskey, the 3-5 favorite, won the front-end battle with Quadzilla before giving late to Duckduckduck, who kicked in late to score by 1 3/4 lengths, in a time of :59.98.
Gone With Duwyn rallied inside to finish three-quarters of a length behind Wine After Whiskey in third. Auntie’s Bambino, Silver Is Best, Big Bold and First, and Quadzilla completed the order of finish.
“I wasn’t worried,” Moran said, regarding the winner trying a new surface. “He’s a horse who’s shown a lot of talent. He broke so sharp and that was the end of it there - once he broke on top like that and they went up in front and he got to sit right behind. Down the lane, (we) just tipped out and he did it all.”
Duckduckduck ($20.10) earned $60,000 in his second stakes victory for owner Sue Leslie and trainer Evette Chartrand-Hoek. He completed his juvenile season by winning the restricted Clarendon Stakes in November, after which he got the winter off before a poor showing in his May 16 season opener.
Souper Sporty, an 18-1 shot who was supplemented by trainer Mike DePaulo, captured the filly version of the Lake Huron, the $100,000 Georgian Bay, under Fraser Aebly.
Souper Sporty tracked the leaders along the inside on the turn and then angled wide for the drive to beat out favored Souper Diva by 1 3/4 lengths, in a time of :56.86.
Sipping History checked in third ahead of Vegas Road, Artful Diamond, Money Heist, and Hot Stuff Baby.
Normally a front-runner, Souper Sporty ($38.10) banked $60,000 in her turf debut and first stakes success for Zilli Racing Stables.
“We were thinking she was going to take to the grass,” DePaulo said. “We’ve been training her to go a mile and a sixteenth, and it’s kind of goofy. We put blinkers on her and asked the jock to come off the pace, but it worked, so we’ll take it. Fraser had her in a good spot. When he asked her, she took off. We’re just thrilled.”
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