Ontario-bred SUNDAY FINERY, a filly from the first crop of Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Mystic Guide, won the Grade 3 Mazarine Stakes at Woodbine on a warm and sunny November 1. The Mazarine at 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta attracted just just five entrants and was held as the third race of the card. Sunday Finery, coming off her maiden victory on Sept. 26 when she stretched out to 1 1/16 miles and won by 13 1/2 lengths, was surprisingly the fourth choice in the small field at 7-to-2.
Ridden again by Sahin Civaci, the James Bentley Begg-trained dark bay filly dropped well behind the pace set by Algonquin Stakes (G3) winner Mrs D, who was stretching out from 5 furlongs. The pace was not very fast – half a mile in 48.36 – but Sunday Finery and Civaci easily went past the four rivals around the turn and drew off to win by 6 3/4 lengths. Mrs. D held second, 3 1/2 lengths ahead of Epic Affair, while more than two dozen lengths separated Mo Cookie and Homeawayfromhome in the back.
The final time was 1:44.29, slightly faster than the time of the Grey Stakes (G3) later on during the day.
Sunday Finery, who impressed in a prep for the Midatlantic two-year-old sale held by Fasig-Tipton in May, was bought at that time by Begg Stable from Julie Davies. Walmac Farm had bought the filly for $60,000 last October and has remained a co-owner with Jeff and Annabel Begg, Team Valor’s Bart Siegel and U.S. manufacturer Eric Long.
While the filly disappointed in her debut when favoured, finishing third, and then landed eighth in a grass sprint, she was second in a Tapeta sprint before her maiden win.
Sunday Finery was bred by Karen and Bernard McCormack of Port Perry and foaled at their Mapleshade Farm. The mare was bought at the Keeneland November sale in 2019 for $22,000 in foal to Tourist. That foal, Mo Tourist, is stakes-placed and has earned over $121,000. The mare’s four-year-old is multiple winner Carnew.
Sunday Finery was originally a $50,000 yearling purchase by Rogefield Farm from the 2025 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky summer sale from the McCormacks.
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The GREY STAKES (G3) had seven entrants and a pair from Bill and Mary Stone‘s Gold Standard Racing Stable, SPEAKER’S SPEECH and PLAY IT AGAIN, were the first two favourites. Trained by Mark Casse, the juveniles obliged the public and ran first and second in 1:44.55.
Speaker’s Speech, a Kentucky-bred from the first crop of Speaker’s Corner (Street Sense), was a whopping $875,000 two-year-old purchase in April in Ocala. He was easy to tab as a contender first time out in the Soaring Free Stakes, but a slow start and a premature move cost him the win at 10-to-1. He tried a 5-furlong dash, the Algonquin Stakes (G3) and lacked room. The Grey was his first run on Tapeta and he set a slow pace and led all the way to win by 1 1/4 lengths.
Perhaps the most impressive two-year-old performance of the day was the maiden win by BUNYAN (Hard Spun) in a 1 mile and 70 yard race. His time of 1:43,21 equates to slightly faster than both stakes races. The grey colt was bought back by breeder David Anderson for $95,000 as a yearling and is now owned by Anderson and Al and Bill Ulwelling. The Kevin Attard trainee was making his third start and he is the third foal of unraced Pachysandra (Ire), a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Eddington.
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