With Jesse Campbell aboard for his second stakes win through the first two weekends of the Woodbine meet, Souper Success pulled off a 16-1 upset with a late rally in the $100,000 Woodstock for three-year-olds on Saturday.
A supplemental entry in the six-furlong sprint, Souper Success dueled past the favourites down the stretch to prevail by one length in 1:09.65 for trainer Mike De Paulo and owner Mickey Demers.
Making his stakes debut and first start of the season, Souper Success stalked the popular leaders at the rail as 8-5 favourite Yes I Am Free raced up front with 2-1 second choice Powell pressing the pace through panels of :21.41 and :43.83. Campbell angled Souper Success three-wide off the turn and the sophomore gelding surged by in deep stretch for the victory.
“He always showed [talent] from day one,” said Campbell. “He never blew away horses in the morning, but Mike asked me who I wanted to ride of the bunch that were working and I said, ‘I want to ride him.’ He’s got a brain on him and he can run too.
“He’s been a cool cat since he was two, a long ways before he had ever run, and he’s still showing it today. I’m just very proud of the connections and this horse – he’s just a neat little guy.”
Bred in Ontario by John Carey, the Souper Speedy-My Sweet Tooch gelding followed a runner-up effort in his career debut last fall with a maiden-breaking score over five furlongs. He is now two-for-three lifetime with earnings approaching the six-figure mark.
“Mike and I picked the horse from the sale and we were watching him and watching him and he came out and performed really well,” said Demers of Souper Success, who was a $15,000 yearling purchase at the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society Sale. “And having Jesse aboard and working with the horse all the time is just great.”
The Woodstock victory gives Campbell back-to-back stakes wins at the meet after taking last Sunday’s Star Shoot with Sister Peacock.
“I hope it keeps rolling,” said the winning reinsman of his early meet success.
Souper Success paid $34.80, $10.30 and $4. The exacta was worth $112.60 as he combined with Powell ($3.70. $2.50), who edged out Yes I Am Free ($2.50) in a photo for place. A $1 trifecta ticket returned $149.55. Corduroy Road offered a challenge in the turn and finished gamely in fourth to complete the superfecta, which paid $466.60 for a $1 ticket.
All American Hero, The Boss Factor and Hesathriller completed the order of finish. Tiz Breathtaking and Keon were scratched.
Live Thoroughbred racing continues at Woodbine on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. The $100,000 Wando Stakes headlines the eight-race program.
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