Ontario Sired Heritage Series begins with two turf sprints

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Souper Rush and Breathing Fire are among the protagonists in the opening legs of the Ontario Sired Heritage Series for 3-year-olds at Woodbine on Sunday. Both races are five-furlong inner-turf sprints.

Established in 2021, the Ontario Sired Heritage Series is comprised of eight $100,000 stakes – four for males and four for fillies. The races are contested over four different surfaces – the Woodbine inner turf, the Woodbine main turf, the Fort Erie dirt track, and the Woodbine Tapeta.

Souper Rush is making his season debut in the $100,000 Lake Huron for colts and geldings. He won first time out at 2 with a 73 Beyer Speed Figure and subsequently placed in two allowances later in the fall.

Souper Rush has been working right along, including five-eighths in a bullet 59.60 on July 29.

“He had a setback when he first came in and it took me a while to get him going,” said trainer Mike Mattine. “He’s been surprising me with his works, he’s been working better than average. I’m really happy with them. Five-eighths isn’t his best distance, but I have to start him off somewhere.”

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Souper Rush is making his first turf start. Mattine pointed out that the son of Souper Speedy is a full-brother to the closing sprinter Queen’s Speed, who won three turf races.

“Based on his pedigree, I think he’ll handle the grass,” Mattine predicted.

Christopher Husbands, who was aboard for all three of Souper Rush’s races, will ride him again.

Silent Runner could go off favored in the six-horse field.

Silent Runner had a busy juvenile campaign, winning three of seven starts, including the restricted Frost King Stakes in November.

Silent Runner wound up sixth behind Nobals in his May 1 season opener in the open Woodstock Stakes. He was fifth most recently against some formidable older opposition in a conditioned allowance on June 11.

David Moran will get a leg up from trainer Mike Doyle on Silent Runner, a son of Silent Name.

◗ Breathing Fire is dropping in class and shortening up in distance in the $100,000 Georgian Bay for fillies.

Trained by Sid Attard, Breathing Fire defeated older Ontario-sired allowance and $40,000 claimers in a hybrid event two starts ago. Most recently in another 6 1/2-furlong main turf sprint, the open Alywow Stakes, she rallied inside from mid-pack for third in a good nine-horse field.

“She’s a really nice filly,” Attard said. “I was very, very happy with her last race. She was closing well and just missed second. She really likes the turf and she’s had two very nice races on it. She’s been training well, and even though it might be a little short, we know that she will go out there and try.”

Among the other nine entrants in the Georgian Bay are the stakes-placed runners Lois Len and Thatsitthatsall. Dixie Morning, Forest B, and Inspector Reload were all supplemented.