Stunningly Perfect won her second straight stakes’ event and third race in a row, to complete the natural hat trick in winning Sunday’s $150,000 South Ocean Stakes at Woodbine. Trained by Steven Chircop, the recent Victorian Queen Stakes’ winner was slow into stride from post position 2 but was quickly hustled into third position through an opening quarter mile in :23.11 under jockey Jose Campos.
Whitemudwest was the early leader, with Sarayu outside in second. Stunningly Perfect kept close tabs inside in third. Tea Biscuit raced fourth. Tweeternity, Champagne Sunday and Matoaka completed the early running order in the 7-furlong main track sprint for two-year-old fillies sired by a stallion standing in Ontario.
Stunningly Perfect and jockey Jose Campos winning the South Ocean Stakes on October 18, 2026 at Woodbine. (Michael Burns Photo)
Into the turn, Campos roused Stunningly Perfect for run and the daughter of Perfect Timber responded, surging into second along the fence through an opening half mile in :46.50.
Inside the quarter pole, Stunningly Perfect (inside) and even money favourite Sarayu (outside) hooked up. One furlong out, Stunningly Perfect gained the advantage and the white-blinkered filly went on to score in driving fashion by 1 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:23.64. Sarayu finished second. 46-1 shot Matoaka finished third and Tea Biscuit was fourth.
Originally trained by Steve Attard, Stunningly Perfect moved to Chircop’s barn for career start two and broke her maiden by 7-plus lengths with Emma-Jayne Wilson up. Campos took over in the Victorian Queen, engineering a 1 1/2 length win, while scoring a 7-1 upset in the filly’s stakes debut.
“She likes to go alone,” said Campos after the South Ocean score. “When she takes the position, the two and a half, I say it’s going to be tough to beat my filly.”
“Seeing the way she runs, she’s ready to go long,” added Campos.
Originally trained by Steve Attard, Stunningly Perfect improved to a perfect 3 for 3 since moving to Chircop’s barn, while enhancing her record to 3-1-0 from 4 career starts. “I don’t think that’s it for her,” said Chircop.
“We nominated her. There’s a Grade 3 going long. I mean we nominated her to nominate. She’s bred to go long and she hasn’t done anything wrong. So you know we’ll take it one step at a time.”
“These horses, they don’t come by every day and they’re very nice when they’re here,” said the trainer.
Bred in Ontario by Charles Fipke and owned by Zilli Racing Stables, Stunningly Perfect (Perfect Timber – Uncle’s Gem, by Uncle Mo) was listed at 2-1 morning line, went to post at odds of 3-1 and returned 8.40 for the win.
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Fire and Wine stamped himself as a legitimate contender for Champion Three-Year-Old Male in Canada, with another wire-to-wire win in Saturday’s $175,000 Ontario Derby (Grade 3) at Woodbine. The bay colt was making his first start after a front-running, four length win in the 12-furlong Breeders Stakes on turf, the final jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown.
Ridden again by Jalon Samuel, Fire and Wire broke sharply from post position 3, leading into the clubhouse turn, through an opening quarter mile in :23.81 over the main track.Teleport (IRE), Final Score, and favoured Prince of Wales Stakes winner Military Time completed the top quartet. Chaos Agent, Bull by the Horns, longshot Trevally, Western Warrior and Brachetto rounded out the running order, through two furlongs in the 1 1/8 mile fall classic for three-year-olds.
Fire and Wine, under a confident Samuel, continued to show the way by a length to Teleport (IRE) through an opening half mile in :47.83. Into the bend, Samuel and the son of Lexitonian extended their lead to 2 lengths through six furlongs in 1:11.67.
Turning for home, Military Time got first run at the leader, with Grade 3-Marine Stakes winner Brachetto advancing into third, but inside the final furlong, the Zeljko Krcmar-trained Fire and Wine finished resolutely to win by 2 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:50.80. Military Time was second. Manitoba-bred Brachetto was third and 69-1 shot Trevally rounded out the superfecta.
As a two-year-old, Fire and Wine (when adding Lasix) got loose on the lead and won the 9-panel Coronation Futurity with jockey Slade Jones in the irons. Samuel took over riding duties in the King’s Plate, guiding the physically imposing sophomore to a third-place finish. Next out, the pair contested the Prince of Wales at Fort Erie, finishing fifth, before the breakthrough win in the Breeders’ Stakes.
“He relaxed. I got to give him a longer reign today and let him cruise to the first turn,” said Samuel. “There was a horse outside of me, I believe it was Pietro [Moran on Teleport (IRE)],” noted Samuel. “I thought he was going to push me a little bit more, but the pace was good and relaxed and I got him to take a breath. And when I was ready for him to answer, he answered well.”
“He covers a lot of ground so that makes it much easier for him, much better for the rider. You just have to know how fast you’re going with him because he can trick you. If you let him go, he’ll travel,” added Samuel.
Bred in Ontario by James and Janeane Everatt, Arika Meeuse & Robert Marzilli, Fire and Wine improved to 4-0-4 from 14 career starts, while earning his first career graded stakes’ score. “He doesn’t know how good he is. Everything I try, he do it,” said Krcmar.
“Now he proved point, he just played with those horses,” added the veteran conditioner, who mentioned Fire and Wine could make his next start in the Grade 3 Valedictory Stakes (December 5th). “A mile and half will fit him perfectly.”
Owned by Paul Ryder, Fire and Wine (Lexitonian – Double Latte, by The Factor), appeared at 15-1 on the morning line, was bet down to 4-1 and returned $10.30 for the win.
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16-1 shot Quadruple (GB) uncorked a stylish stretch rally, to earn her first North American win, capturing Saturday’s $175,000 Ontario Fashion Stakes (Grade 3) presented by Tanqueray. Piloted by Ryan Munger for the third straight race, the 5-year-old bay daughter of Frankel (GB), was away a step slow from post position 5, but regrouped well, advancing into fifth through an opening quarter mile in :22.40.
Versatile Quadruple (GB) and jockey Ryan Munger winning the Ontario Fashion Stakes on October 17, 2026 at Woodbine. (Michael Burns Photo)
Florida shipper Spinelli led the field of nine, with favourite Creed’s Gold in second. Tessellate raced third with Ultimate Authority to her inside. Quadruple (GB) saved ground in fifth.
Sinclairity, defending champion Les Reys (FR), Austere, and Sea Runner completed the early running order in the six-furlong main track sprint for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and upward. Minimum Forty was scratched.
Into the lane, Spinelli protected the rail while continuing to lead through four furlongs in a brisk :44.79. Three-sixteenths out, Ultimate Authority and Creed’s Gold were launching their bids in the three and four paths respectively, leaving an inviting opening for Quadruple (GB), who exploded through the seam, and won going away by 2 3/4 lengths in final time of 1:09.42. 18-1 shot Ultimate Authority finished second. 13-1 shot Austere rallied stoutly to finish third. And 9-1 shot Sea Runner completed the lucrative .20 cent superfecta, which paid $3,165.75. Favourite Creed’s Gold was fifth.
Quadruple (GB) began her in Europe, winning three of 14 starts, before moving to the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Josie Carroll. “Mark [owner Mark Dodson] purchased her in Europe. She came into Florida, started training down there, and then we headed up this way,” explained Carroll.
“We’ve been very excited about this filly, from the beginning. And it seems like it took her a little while to get her bearings here. And she just seems to be getting better and better,” added Carroll, who notched her 4th win in the Ontario Fashion, having trained three previous winners (2017-Moonlit Promise), (2020-Painting), (A Game-2024).
Bred in Great Britain by Juddmonte Farms Ltd, Quadruple (GB) was making her sixth North American start (all at Woodbine). She debuted locally over the synthetic main track finishing third in the Grade 3-Whimsical Stakes. Three starts later, with Munger up for the first time, she again finished third in the Grade 3-Seaway Stakes. Last out, Quadruple (GB) (Frankel (GB) – Soffia (GB), by Kylacchy (GB) ), outkicked graded stakes winner Miss Vyvyanne, when finishing second in the six-furlong Sweet Briar Too Stakes over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.
“She has run some good races (on synthetic), I had to go off that,” said Munger. “She’s relaxed, let me just cruise along here. And I had the right horses in front of me and I said, man, if the gap’s open, she’s gonna blow on by. She did. And she deserved this black-type win today.”
Owned by Mark Dodson, Quadruple (GB) improved to 4-4-2, from 20 career starts, while recording her first win on synthetic. The winner was listed at 6-1 morning line, floated up to 16-1 and rewarded backers with a $2 win payout of $34.30.
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