Souper Escape goes straight to lead, stays there in Trillium Stakes
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Canadian champion Souper Escape edged out another Live Oak Plantation runner, the surprising favorite Crystal Glacier, to win her season opener in Saturday’s Grade 3 Trillium Stakes at Woodbine.
Souper Escape went straight to the lead under Luis Contreras and set honest fractions in the 1 1/16-mile Tapeta route. Red Cabernet attended the pace, while Crystal Glazier saved ground in third under Kazushi Kimura.
Souper Escape opened up a clear lead on the far turn before weakening on end, while Crystal Glacier surged late on her outside. Souper Escape prevailed by a nose in a final time of 1:43.12, returning $9.20 to win.
“By the way my filly was acting in the post parade, I knew she was going to be sharp,” Contreras said. “I knew she was going to be on the lead, no matter what. I just tried to make her relax, to save some horse at the end. We just made it.”
A daughter by Medaglia d’Oro trained by Mike Trombetta, Souper Escape earned $90,000 of the $151,200 purse for Live Oak, last year’s Sovereign Award-winning owner.
Sky Gaze finished third, and was followed by Heavenly Curlin, Merveilleux, Royal Wedding Brassy, and Red Cabernet.