Trainer DiPaola cashes in on longshot winner

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Santino DiPaola literally hit the jackpot last Saturday at Woodbine when he sent out second-time starter Little Teddy to score at a huge price in the 11th-race nightcap.

There was a mandatory payout on the Jackpot Hi-5 in the maiden race for 2-year-old fillies, and the total pool for the 20-cent base wager was $1,226,799.

DiPaola and owner Mario Giorgio, along with four of his family members, pooled their money and keyed Little Teddy on top while using “all” in the second through fifth positions, a ticket that cost around $1,500. When Little Teddy prevailed at 48-1, they collected the tidy sum of $48,267.

Little Teddy had finished a non-threatening seventh, beaten 10 lengths, when she debuted at 37-1 in another Ontario-sired/$40,000 maiden sprint on Sept. 30. DiPaola said she needed the race and it helped set her up for Saturday’s graduation.

“She was sick with that virus going around for about a month where she didn’t do anything,” DiPaola said. “I two-minute-licked her once, worked her once, and then we ran here. It was getting closer to the end [of the meet], and I had to get her started. She was just short on fitness.

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“She came out of the race with a splint that we [treated]. She outworked Lady in Red, so I was pretty confident going into [Saturday]. She knew what she was doing. She was confident and she came back like she did nothing. She’s sharp and happy.”

With Alexander Marti riding, Little Teddy earned a 64 Beyer Speed Figure. DiPaola nominated her to the $150,000 Shady Well Stakes, a six-furlong event for Ontario-bred or Ontario-sired fillies on Dec. 2.

“The Shady Well might be her next start,” DiPaola said. “There’s also an [Ontario-sired] non-two $40,000 on Dec. 9, but I really don’t want to be that late with her in case the [conditions are bad].”

DiPaola sends out Enchant Me and Gav’s Dream Girl on Friday’s nine-race program.

Enchant Me is dropping to a $25,000 non-winners of three claimer going 1 1/16 miles in the seven-horse third race The 6-year-old finished fifth in back-to-back non-three Ontario-sired/$40,000 routes on different surfaces in his last two outings.

Gav’s Dream Girl is among a field of 13 in the ninth, a $10,000 non-winners of three sprint for fillies and mares. She commenced her campaign with three straight competitive performances in the summer before tailing off and is going off Lasix while adding blinkers for the drop from $15,000. “I think they both have a shot to do well,” said DiPaola, who named Marti on both runners.

Post time is 1:05 p.m.

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