Duchess Stakes: Souper Hoity Toity on a roll, Loyalty looks to stake her claim
TORONTO, September 28, 2022 – Souper Hoity Toity, a 3-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo-Town Tour, brings consecutive Grade 3 triumphs into Saturday’s $125,000 Duchess Stakes, at Woodbine.
Trained by Mark Casse for Live Oak Plantation, the Kentucky-bred arrives at the 7-furlong Tapeta event for 3-year-old fillies off two sharp scores, including the Grade 3 Selene Stakes on July 2.
Sent off at 8-1, Souper Hoity Toity, on top by a head at the stretch call in the 1 1/16-mile main track race, went on to secure a three-quarter length win in a time of 1:45.11.
One race later, on August 6, the bay filly, bred by Dr. Richard Holder and Coolmore, got up late to record a head victory in the Grade 3 Ontario Colleen, contested at one mile over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.
Souper Hoity Toity launched her career last August at Ellis Park, finishing fourth in a 5 ½-furlong grass race. One race later, on October 1, she broke her maiden courtesy of a sharp performance, crossing the wire 1 ¾ lengths on top in a one-mile race over the E.P. Taylor.
“We’re cutting back sprinting, but I want to keep her running against straight 3-year-olds, so this was really our only option, unless we wanted to ship,” said Casse, also represented by Join the Dance in the Duchess.
The Duchess marks the fourth straight stakes engagement for the lifetime winner of four races from six starts.
“Her best quality? She can run, and she likes to win,” offered Casse, who won last year’s Duchess with Miss Speedy. “Those are her two best qualities. She’s always run well, and her last two races were excellent.”
A daughter of Hard Spun-Slew’s Quality, Loyalty, trained by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Josie Carroll, comes into the Duchess off a sparkling showing, earning her first stakes win on August 8 at Presque Isle Downs in the Lady Erie.
A $270,000 Keeneland September yearling, Loyalty, who won her first two starts, both 6-furlong sprints on the Woodbine Tapeta, is co-owned by Gainesway Stable and LNJ Foxwoods.
“Josie liked her from the beginning, so we were excited about those first two starts that ended up being wins,” said owner-breeder Jaime Roth, of LNJ Foxwoods. “She loves the synthetic. She’s versatile and good enough to get herself out of a jam. She got bumped in the beginning [of both races] and she was able to fight through that. It takes a good horse to overcome that.”
After a sixth in the turf Alywow Stakes on July 9 at Woodbine, she rebounded with the Lady Erie triumph.
“We got her back to the surface she prefers,” said Roth. “We’re crossing a line through the grass race, but she had that race because it was the right time for her to run. We were a little confused, but after her race at Presque Isle, it was pretty clear to us that it was a surface issue. It was a very impressive race and for her to have to travel there – travel can always be a question mark – it was just an all-round great effort. She looked like she had a lot left in the tank as well. For a lightly raced horse, she has shown tremendous professionalism. Maiden and allowance races, got bumped from both sides, yet seemed unfazed. If anything, it’s impressive how fast she recovers from the break to get close to the lead. She was super versatile in all three races and showed a different dimension. Especially the stakes race. She relaxed, sat fourth, and made the impressive three-wide move.”
Bred by Godolphin, LLC, and Best A Luck Farm, the dark bay is out of the unraced Elusive Quality mare, Slew’s Quality, and is a half to champion sprinter and Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Shamrock Rose.
Roth, who was appointed to the Woodbine Board of Directors this June, has a connection to Shamrock Rose. LNJ Foxwoods sent out the third-place finisher, multiple graded stakes placed Anonymity, in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.
“Loyalty being a half-sister to a Breeders’ Cup winner and winning that stakes race in Presque Isle, it’s icing on the cake for us. Even though our horse finished third to Shamrock Rose, it helps now having a half-sister to her. But if she can do any more, that would be great too. We really like her.”
Roth hopes Loyalty can continue her winning ways on Saturday.
“We’re excited about her, and I love our partnership with Gainesway, who are great friends. Hence, the name Loyalty. It was a play on our relationship with them and I think it’s a great name for a horse like her. Hopefully, she can be our next [multiple graded stakes winner] Boardroom.”
First post for Saturday is 1:10 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on the races through HPIbet.com and the Dark Horse Bets app.
FIELD FOR THE $125,000 DUCHESS STAKES (Race 9)
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Loyalty – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll
2 – Empress Tigress – Kazushi Kimura – Jonathan Thomas
3 – Pioneer’s Edge – Justin Stein – Josie Carroll
4 – Souper Hoity Toity – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
5 – Hollywood Walk – Declan Carroll – Michael Trombetta
6 – Curlin Candy (S) – Antonio Gallardo – Michael De Paulo
7 – Tasweya – Andrew Wolfsont – Michael Pino
8 – Join the Dance – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse
9 – Pharoah’s Song (S) – Rafael Hernandez – Graham Motion
Chris Lomon, Woodbine Communications / @WoodbineComms
