Zadracarta: Little Teddy expected to bounce back in a big way
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Off a surprisingly poor showing, reigning Canadian champion female sprinter Little Teddy will try to win the $150,000 Zadracarta Stakes for the second year in a row on Saturday. She seems to be back on track for the five-furlong inner turf dash, which is the first of two stakes on the Woodbine card, along with the $125,000 Toronto Cup.
Little Teddy ran lights-out in last year’s Zadracarta, during which she darted up the rail from fourth entering the stretch before drawing off to score by 5 1/2 lengths with a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.
Little Teddy started twice on the Tapeta this year, winning her May 9 season opener in a five-furlong conditioned allowance over Miss Vyvyanne, who subsequently took the Grade 2 Highlander. Sent off as the big favorite most recently in the July 5 Ballade Stakes, she came from third to challenge for the lead in the stretch before fading to fifth late under Austin Adams.
Trainer Santino DiPaola believes a nearby manure pile fire a few days before the Ballade was the main excuse for Little Teddy’s flat performance.
“She was a little dull in her stall leading into it, I think because of the smoke,” DiPaola recalled. “When we scoped her after the race, her throat was raw red. She was coughing through post parade, and Austin said she coughed twice in the gate. It was really irritating her.
“Another thing we found out was she had a wolf tooth that was really pissing her off. She always eats up, but since we pulled it, now she’s done [eating] almost by the time I’m done setting the food. I think she’s a changed horse coming into Saturday.”
Sinclairity should be well backed in the seven-horse field of Ontario-sired females. She has won her last two starts for trainer Kevin Attard, most notably the Ballade.
Toronto Cup
Attard sends out three of the seven 3-year-olds in the $125,000 Toronto Cup – Aretha, Final Score, and Teleport.
Aretha is taking on the boys in the one-mile inner turf tilt off a sagging sixth as the favorite in the Grade 3 Ontario Colleen over the same course and distance. She was previously an authoritative debut winner going long on the Tapeta.
“I was a little disappointed in Aretha’s [second] effort – maybe just being too critical with it only being her second start,” Attard said. “She’s worked well heading into this, and I think she’ll rebound.”
With blinkers added, Final Score is making his first start for Attard. He was previously trained by Todd Pletcher, who sent him out to win the Grade 2 Bourbon at Keeneland last October. The only time he competed this year, at Churchill Downs on May 2, the son of Not This Time trailed in 13th after a wide journey in the Grade 1 American Turf.
“We’re excited to have him in the barn,” Attard said. “He brings a good résumé with him. He’s been pretty straightforward.”
Teleport is coming off a front-running third in his Aug. 2 season opener in a seven-furlong allowance on the Tapeta, a race taken off the turf.
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