Woodbine: Soaring Free sets record

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Soaring Free set a North American record for seven furlongs on the turf while winning the $107,000 Ontario Jockey Club Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths at Woodbine.

Soaring Free ran the distance in 1:19.38 under jockey Todd Kabel. The previous record of 1:19.88 was set by Officialpermission at Belmont in 2000. Woodbine's previous record of 1:20.20 was established by Wild Zone in 1995.

Soaring Free, who is owned by Sam-Son Farm and trained by Mark Frostad, paid $2.80 to win as a heavy favorite in the six-horse field. Super Case finished second, 1 3/4 lengths in front of Awesome Action.

Kabel also captured Saturday's feature, the $160,350 Shady Well Stakes, aboard favored South Bay Cove.

South Bay Cove led throughout the 5 1/2-furlong dash for 2-year-old fillies, setting fractions of 22.82 and 47.13 seconds. She drew off from stalkers Time Saver and Ring City through the stretch and won by 12 1/2 lengths over a closing Edith Prickley. Dancehall Deelites was third in the five-horse field of Canadian-breds.

Other than a miscue at the start, Kabel said he had a smooth trip aboard South Bay Cove.

"She lost her footing when the gates opened, but she recovered quickly," Kabel said. "I wanted to get her up there and on the bridle early, and everything worked out perfectly."

The final time of 1:06.26 seconds was well off Bodust's stakes record of 1:04.

South Bay Cove ($3.40) banked $96,210 in her first stakes triumph for owner Windhaven and trainer Roger Attfield.