Chaos Agent lived up to his name, surviving multiple riders’ claims of foul, to capture his first career stakes win in Saturday’s $125,000 Toronto Cup at Woodbine.
Ridden by Rafael Hernandez for the second straight race, the bay son of Independence Hall trailed the field of seven, first time by the finish line, in the one-mile inner turf test for three-year-olds.
Powell River on the rail, closely shadowed by multiple graded turf winner Final Score, hooked up early on the front end, through an opening quarter mile in :22.35. Teleport (IRE) and Running On Time raced in tandem behind the top pair, with Aces Honor racing in fifth, and the filly Aretha and Chaos Agent trailing the field.
Up the backstretch Powell River and Final Score continued to duel through an opening half mile in :46.24, with Teleport (IRE), now clearly in third, sizing up the top pair.
Around the turn, Powell River shook loose from a faltering Final Score as Teleport (IRE) cruised up in the two path to join the leader through an opening six furlongs in 1:10.56.
Inside the eighth pole, Teleport (IRE) took a short lead into the final furlong but was soon joined to his outside by Kentucky shipper Aces Honor. After saving ground throughout under the ultra-patient Hernandez, Chaos Agent rallied gamely in the three path and in tight quarters, bravely split the top pair inside the 70 yard pole, and prevailed by a head over Aces Honor in a final time of 1:36.49. The seven-furlong split was 1:23.35.
After the frenetic finish, Pietro Moran aboard fourth place finisher (Teleport – Ire) and Reylu Gutierrez aboard runner up (Aces Honor), both lodged claims of foul against the winner, but after video review, the stewards allowed the result to stand.
Unraced at two and a $350,000 yearling purchase at the Keeneland September 2024 sale, Chaos Agent lived up to expectations winning a mile and one sixteenth maiden race in his lifetime bow over the synthetic surface at Gulfstream Park. The bay colt stepped up next in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby at Turfway Park, and racing without Lasix, was pulled up and vanned off in the equine ambulance.
Following a summer freshening the Pin Oak Stud LLC charge, returned to the Lasix program in his Woodbine debut, winning a 7-furlong race (originally slated for grass) by three-quarters of a length under Hernandez, who was happy his number wasn’t taken down in today’s race.
“I can say the last part, it was kind of tight,” said Hernandez. “But my horse come up and wasn’t intimidated. Just finished with the head in front. You can see these horses are all about heart. You get all the bumping, and he still came up and won.”
Canadian Hall of Fame conditioner Josie Carroll, who recently won her 4th King’s Plate, said a finesse approach is required for Chaos Agent, now a three-time winner from four career starts.
“He doesn’t want to be manhandled. He wants to do things his way, and we have to sort of work around him,” said Carroll.
Regarding running her colt on grass, Carroll noted the winner had trained well on the sod during the winter in Florida. “It was already on the radar this spring. He absolutely worked well on it, and then you know it took a little while to get back to the races, and here we are.”
“I think he’s a horse that’s just coming into his own, and I’m fortunate to be part of an outfit that’s developing some very nice horses,” she added.
Bred in Kentucky by James Paliafito & Joe Adams, Chaos Agent (Independence Hall – Into Oblivion, by Into Mischief) was listed at 6-1 on the morning line, went to post at 3-1 and paid $8.20 for the win. Aces Honor was second, Powell River re-rallied on the rail to be third and Teleport (IRE) was fourth. After the early duel, race favourite Final Score faded and finished seventh.
Little Teddy Defends Zadracarta Title
Canadian champion Little Teddy overcame an awkward start and recomposed herself brilliantly to repeat in Saturday’s $150,000 Zadracarta Stakes at Woodbine.
Ridden by regular pilot Austin Adams, Canada’s reigning Champion Female Sprinter was off a beat slow from post position two and trailed the field of seven briefly, in the five-furlong inner turf sprint for Ontario-bred fillies and mares three-years-old and up.
Little Teddy and jockey Austin Adams winning the Zadracarta Stakes on August 29, 2026 at Woodbine. (Michael Burns Photo)
Unfazed, Adams and the five-year-old grey/roan daughter of Frac Daddy, quickly regrouped and advanced smartly up the rail and into fourth through an opening quarter mile in :21.60. Up front Dolce Fortuna was setting the pace with Olivia Rose in second and the maiden Alpha Gamma Girl tracking in third.
Around the bend, the Santino DiPaola-trained Little Teddy moved comfortably into third and turning for home, moved into second, through a gaping opening on the rail. With superior momentum, Little Teddy rolled by inside of Dolce Fortuna, taking over the lead in a half mile time of :44.32 and kicked on professionally to score by one length in a final time of :56.08.
Adams guided Little Teddy (Frac Daddy – Explosive Leah, by Silent Name) to a five and half-length win in the 2025 Zadracarta, for which she earned a career high 96 Beyer Speed Figure. Today’s win was more eventful to be sure.
“She kind of came out a little to the side. Olivia (Rose) really didn’t break that great either. I kind of had to go to Plan B. I was expecting her to be up front.” said Adams.
With the Zadracarta repeat, Little Teddy improved to 4-1-0 from 5 lifetime starts on the lawn, a fact not lost on Adams. “She’s a different horse on the turf, I can really feel it,” he said. “She’s got a different kind of kick out here.”
Going third off the shelf, Little Teddy entered her Zadracarta defense off a disappointing fifth place finish in the six-furlong Ballade Stakes over the local Tapeta surface, but DiPaolo was confident his charge was in a winning frame of mind on Saturday.
“I was soaked head-to-toe bathing her coming over,” laughed DiPaola. “Oh my gosh, she was Teddy today. Last time she was lethargic. She had us all worried all day, and this time I was like, ‘okay, let’s go get them.’“
Little Teddy was a $15,000 (CDN) purchase in the Canada September 2022 yearling sale and became a stakes winner in career start number five, rallying to win by a neck over rival Olivia Rose in the 2024 Georgian Bay Stakes. The tardy beginning Saturday didn’t shake DiPaola’s confidence as he watched the break.
“My brother (groom Joe DiPaola) was actually the first one yelling out ‘that’s okay Austin’,” said the youthful conditioner.
“We watched the Georgian Bay back this morning and I said ‘get her legs under her, let her find her stride, come with a run.’”
“She broke last with Kazushi (Kimura) in the Georgian Bay that day and came running like she did today.”
Owned by York Tech Racing Stable and bred in Ontario by Susan Rasmussen and H. Lothian, Little Teddy improved her winning batting average to an impressive 9-4-2 from 18 career starts.
Little Teddy opened at 7-5 on the morning line, was bet down to 1-5 and returned $2.70 for the win, the fourth triumph in her last five starts. Pacesetter Dolce Fortuna was second, Ballade Stakes winner Sinclairity rallied to be third and Olivia Rose was fourth.
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