Chircop duo meets again, this time in Victorian Queen Stakes / Longshot Leo takes on five in Bull Page
.jpg)
TORONTO, September 11, 2026 – Steven Chircop trainees Stunningly Perfect and Awesome Grace aim for their first stakes success in Sunday’s $150,000 Victorian Queen at Woodbine.
A 6 ½-furlong main test for Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies, the Victorian Queen is part of a card that also includes the running of the colt and gelding companion Bull Page.
Owned by Zilli Racing Stables, Stunningly Perfect, a daughter of Perfect Timber out of the Uncle Mo mare Uncle’s Gem, arrives at this weekend’s engagement off a sharp maiden-breaking victory at six furlongs.
Sent on her was the 1-9 choice in the six-furlong main track sprint that was reduced to three starters, the dark bay tossed her head at the start but quickly regained her composure to take command. Ahead by 5 ½ lengths at the stretch call, she went on to post a 7 ½-length win in a time of 1:11.88 with Emma-Jayne Wilson in the irons.
“Obviously, when you are in a three-horse race, it’s a hard race to judge,” said Chircop. “She broke slowly, but she was able to get back into a rhythm pretty quickly. She looked good on paper going into it. We made some small changes with her equipment and worked her back the following week and she worked so well. I was trying to get her on the grass – which she is bred for – but the race didn’t go and we ended up here. It was a five-horse field, but two were scratched.
“I was sure she was going to run a good one even if it was a 10-horse field, but we ended up with three and won like we felt she could. Emma said it was like nothing more than a workout for the horse.”
Stunningly Perfect just missed in her debut on July 26, making a late charge to finish a half-length back of stablemate Awesome Grace in a six-furlong sprint over the main track.
“The other horse we have in here, we loved her that day. She just hung on to beat this filly, who wasn’t racing for us at that point. Stunningly Perfect galloped out very well, which caught our eye and eventually led us to buying her.”
Bred by Charles Fipke, Stunningly Perfect is still learning the ropes, noted Chircop, who purchased the filly privately on behalf of the owner.
“I am not sure we learned too much after that win. She is a little bit of an immature horse, so we have had some time to work with her and we’re trying to get her to focus. She acts like a typical 2-year-old. She loves to look around at things. But she obviously has talent and ran a very nice race first-time out and then really showed a lot in her win.”
Ershell Lewin is the groom.
Bred Northern Dawn Stables Inc., Awesome Grace has five races under her saddle and sports a 1-1-1 record for owner 6 Deep Stable.
The daughter of Souper Speedy out of the Overanalyze filly Awesomeendswithme finished fifth in her debut on May 31, a five-furlong maiden special weight run on the Woodbine main track.
She finished second and third in her next two starts, respectively, before breaking her maiden on July 26.
Awesome Grace controlled the pace throughout the six-furlong main track race, going on to secure a half-length score in 1:12.31.
“She was a quick-learning filly,” said Chircop. “Everything seemed to come fairly naturally to her, and she put it all together thd day she got her first win.”
Chircop, who had anticipated a strong showing in the Muskoka Stakes from his rookie filly, watched her finish eighth in the 6 ½-furlong engagement for Canadian foaled 2-year-old fillies on Aug. 30.
“It was a tough race,” said Chircop. “I thought she was sitting in a really good spot and looked ready to fire, but she flattened out. When she came back, her back hind leg had been stepped on by another horse during the race. I’m not sure if that’s an excuse as to why she didn’t finish the way I thought she would. I would say, possibly.
“Her work going into the Muskoka was faster than I wanted – she went :46.20 – and she did it on her own. Since she went so fast, I thought she would have a good race, but it didn’t pan out unfortunately.”
Now fully healed, Awesome Grace, a $29,000 (CDN) purchase at the 2025 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale, will have another chance to net her first stakes badge.
“She is completely different from Stunningly Perfect. She is much bigger and has the body of a 3-year-old. Her mind is also developed more, which is why she has raced five times. She’s doing great and we’re excited about this weekend. Distance should not be a problem for either of them.”
Anne Anderson is the groom.
*
Six hopefuls will vie for top prize in the Bull Page.
Longshot Leo, trained by Dale Desruisseaux for owners Robert Jack Dell and Jeremy West, has finished second in all four of his starts. His latest runner-up effort came in the Simcoe Stakes, a 6 ½-furlong main track event for 2-year-olds foaled in Canada.
“He’s obviously been competitive in all of his races,” said Desruisseaux, who has already set a career-best mark in yearly purse earnings. “I thought he ran a very good race in the Simcoe. He battled the one horse all the way down the lane to get second, which was impressive, seeing how hard he fought.
“This guy is still a little immature, but we are starting to see signs that he is figuring things out. He’s had a lot of races, but he’s always shown up. He hasn’t missed an oat since his last race and he’s coming into it well. Hopefully, we can see him go one better on Sunday.”
Bred by Anthony B. Russo & Leslie L. Russo, the son of Old Forester out of the Will Take Charge mare She’s In Charge was a $10,000 (CDN) purchase at the 2025 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale.
Fraser Aebly will be in the irons on Sunday.
Troy Garnett is the groom.
Recent works: Stunningly Perfect covered four furlongs in :49.00 over the main track on Sept. 6.
“It was just a simple maintenance work and she did it exactly how we wanted it,” said Chircop. “We’re hoping she will give us a good result on Sunday.”
Wagering menu for the Victorian Queen: Includes Rolling Double / Exacta / 0.20 Trifecta / .20 Superfecta / 0.20 Pick 3 (Races 9-10-11) / $1 Swinger
Wagering menu for the Bull Page: Includes Rolling Double / Exacta / 0.20 Trifecta / .20 Superfecta / 0.20 Pick 3 (Races 9-10-11) / $1
Swinger.
Field for the Victorian Queen
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Whitemudwest – Rafael Hernandez – Todd Kettleson
2 – Tweeternity (S) – Da-Sean Gaskin – Anthony Husbands
3 – Champagne Sunday – Skye Chernetz – David Cotey
4 – Sarayu – Pietro Moran – Jamie Begg
5 – Princess Orlaith – Fraser Aebly – Tino Attard
6 – Stunningly Perfect – Jose Campos – Steven Chircop
7 – Awesome Grace – Romero Ramsay Maragh – Steven Chircop
Field for the Bull Page
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Souper Survivor – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Bill Tharrenos
2 – Longshot Leo – Fraser Aebly – Dale Desruisseaux
3 – It Wasn’t a Bluff – Desean Bynoe – Devon Gittens
4 – War Emperor – Romero Ramsay Maragh – Barb Minshall
5 – Prince Shaman – Pietro Moran – Mike Mattine
6 – King Kadooment – Jose Campos – Nathan Squires
-30-
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
.jpg)
