Four Yearling Sales Stakes share the billing on Sunday at Woodbine
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TORONTO, August 21, 2025 – Canadian Premier Yearling Sale graduates are in the spotlight Sunday afternoon at Woodbine for a quartet of stakes races totaling $600,000 in purse money.
The annual Canadian Sales Stakes precedes the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society’s yearling sale (sponsored by OLG), held on Wednesday, August 27 at 11:00 a.m. (ET) in the Woodbine Sales Pavilion.
“The sale is very attractive to both newcomers and existing owners because the quality we can find here in Ontario is a much better value, especially with the exchange rate,” said Shirley Camilleri, who, along with her husband, Tony, run the highly successful CamHaven Farms (camhavenfarm.com) outfit.
“The CTHS sale showcases Ontario breeding and the additional money that is available to horse people is very attractive.”
For more information on the sale, visit here: cthsont.com/sale
$200,000 SIMCOE STAKES – for 2-year-old colts & geldings, foaled in Canada. 6 ½ furlongs on the main track. Race 8.
Trainer Bill Tharrenos will send out the trio of Bank On Big Winner, Big Bold and First and Silver Is Best, all last time out winners, in the Simcoe.
Owned by Six Brothers Stable, Bank On Big Winner, a son of Big Screen out of the Reload mare Reload the Bank, romped to a 3 ¾-length score at six furlongs (1:11.82) over the Woodbine main track on July 27.
The gelding was second, a half-length back of stablemate Big Bold and First, in his five-furlong debut on June 29.
“He is moving forward,” said Tharrenos, of the gelding bred by Northern Dawn Stables. “It was a very impressive win, and he is a horse who is just starting to peak.
“He can be a little aggressive in the stall, but we manage. We have a game plan for him every day, where we get him out early and keep his mind sharp and focused.”
Bank On Big Winner breezed five furlongs over the main track in 1:00.60 on August 17.
“Omar Moreno, unfortunately, got injured, but we are fortunate to have picked up (apprentice) Pietro Moran for him,” said Tharrenos, of the rider who teamed with Mansetti to win the 166th edition of The King’s Plate on August 16.
Bank On Big Winner was a $20,000 (CDN) purchase at the 2024 Canadian Premier Yearling Sale.
“We liked him a lot, his looks stood out,” said Tharrenos. “We took notice of him right away.”
Sherri Wickett is the groom.
Big Bold and First lived up to his name in his second start, a half-length triumph at five furlongs (:59.66) over the Woodbine main track on June 29.
“He tried very hard to get that win,” praised Tharrenos, who will have Jose Campos aboard on Sunday. “This horse is blooming, and things are definitely going his way. I’m very excited about him.”
The son of Signature Red out of the Essence of Dubai mare Essence of Silver was fourth in his debut on June 15, a 4 ½-furlong sprint on the main track.
“He ran a decent race,” said Tharrenos. “I think he was much more prepared for his last start, and it showed. We always liked him and it was simply a case of when he would peak at the right time. Everything ended up going just the way we had hoped when he got that win.”
Bred by Howard Walton and owned by Michael Coll, the bay gelding was a $5,000 (CDN) purchase at the 2024 Canadian Premier Yearling Sale.
“What happened that day was that we got to the sale early and we were one of the first groups there. We were the only bid and we couldn’t believe it. He was built like a horse who would be ready early. He’s not a big horse, but he’s short and stocky. He has a lot of ability, athletic-wise. That’s what I liked about him.”
Carlington White is the groom.
Silver Is Best struck gold in his latest test.
The son of Signature Red blew past his rivals at the three-sixteenths pole in the five-furlong main track race on July 13, on his way to a 5 ¼-length romp in :58.64 as the 2-5 choice.
“The reason we have him is because of (owner) Michael Coll,” noted Tharrenos. “We had this horse’s full-sister, I Love to Win, who was a knockout last year. She didn’t win a stakes race, but she did extremely well. She won two races for us.
“This guy, Silver Is Best, his whole life is ahead of him. He’s doing phenomenally well. David Moran has great things to say about the horse, so we are excited about what could be in store for the horse. We have been working with him to keep his focus into the turn for home, so he can come down the lane with some energy and elevate his game at the finish.”
The bay, out of the Scat Daddy mare Scatter the Silver, was a $23,000 (CDN) purchase at the 2024 Canadian Premier Yearling Sale.
“He’s another one who just looked the part,” said Tharrenos. “Obviously, we had success with I Love to Win, so we had our eyes on him at the sale.”
Carlington White is the groom.
Field for the Simcoe
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Duckduckduck – Sahin Civaci – Evette Chartrand-Hoek
2 – Highwaytothemoon – Rafael Hernandez – Dale Desruisseaux
3 – Found Money – Keveh Nicholls – Matt Douglas
4 – Bank On Big Winner – Pietro Moran – Bill Tharrenos
5 – Silver Is Best – David Moran – Bill Tharrenos
6 – Noburu – Fraser Aebly – Josie Carroll
7 – Speights Will – Ryan Munger – Steven Chircop
8 – Big Bold and First – Jose Campos – Bill Tharrenos
9 – Dri Saddle – Xarel Forde – Philip Hall
10 – Making His Mark (S) – Eswan Flores – John Ross
$200,000 MUSKOKA STAKES – for 2-year-old fillies, foaled in Canada. 6 ½ furlongs on the main track. Race 6.
Cayenne Kiss and Japonka will both make their stakes debut for trainer Bill Tharrenos when they take on rivals in the $200,000 Muskoka Stakes.
A bay daughter of Silent Name (JPN) out of the Singing Saint mare Hot Cross Buns, Cayenne Kiss made a winning debut on June 28 at Woodbine.
Sent on her way in the five-furlong main track affair as the 4-5 choice, the bay filly made a three-wide bid on the turn and then drew off down the lane for a 4 ¼-length score in :59.09.
“Unbelievable,” said Tharrenos. “I get chills thinking about her. I am not trying to be overconfident, but I don’t think we have seen the best of her yet. She’s a beauty.”
Box Arrow Farm & Gordon C. Colbourne, Cayenne Kiss has posted a trio of five-furlong breezes this month, including a 1:01.00 effort on August 10.
“Her last couple works, she has been playing with company,” said Tharrenos. “She has attitude, which I love. If she knows who you are, she’s just a doll to be around. We have Pietro for her, too, so hopefully, she can come up with another big effort on Sunday.”
Owned by Natural Eight Stable and The Estate Of Leslie A. Pereira, the filly was a $15,000 (CDN) purchase at the 2024 Canadian Premier Yearling Sale.
Carlington White is the groom.
Japonka has three starts under her saddle.
She was fifth to Cayenne Kiss in her June 28 debut, fourth at the same five furlongs on July 13, and fifth in her most recent race, at six panels on the Woodbine main track, on July 26.
“There aren’t a lot of distance races for her, but there are signs she is starting to put things together,” said Tharrenos. “Everything is going well with her, and we think she is going to keep moving in the right direction.”
A homebred for Tara Horse Farm Inc., the daughter of First Samurai out of the Orb mare Miss Stella breezed five furlongs in 1:01.40 over the Woodbine main track on August 17.
“This is a tough race for her, but we’re hoping for the best,” said Tharrenos.
Kaila Colavecchia is the groom.
Field for the Muskoka
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Sipping History – Sahin Civaci – James Bentley Begg
2 – Lapin de Plage (S) – Fraser Aebly – Catherine Day Phillips
3 – Fleury – Patrick Husbands – Josie Carroll
4 – Cayenne Kiss – Pietro Moran – Bill Tharrenos
5 – Souper Diva – Jose Campos – Steven Chircop
6 – Japonka – Jeffrey Alderson – Bill Tharrenos
7 – Winning Agenda – Eswan Flores – Sid Attard
8 – Superfly Chick – Jason Hoyte – Lorne Richards
9 – Live Each Day – Ryan Munger – Julia Carey
10 – Pageant Queen – Rafael Hernandez – James Bentley Begg
$100,000 ALGOMA STAKES – for 3-year-old and 4-year-old fillies, foaled in Canada. 7 furlongs on the main track. Race 5.
Seven fillies will vie for top prize in the $100,000 Algoma Stakes.
Little Teddy, a 4-year-old daughter of Frac Daddy out of the Silent Name (JPN) mare Explosive Leah, will chase her second lifetime stakes score.
Trained by Santino Di Paola, the filly, 5-3-2 from 12 starts, along with $261,426 in purse earnings, won last year’s Georgian Bay Stakes.
It was the first Woodbine stakes victory for owner York Tech Racing Stable, nom du course of Di Paola’s parents, Carmen and Raffaela Di Paola.
After a seventh to launch her career in 2023, Little Teddy won next time out, at 48-1, before concluding her 2-year-old campaign with a third in the Shady Well Stakes.
Bred by Susan Rasmussen and H. Lothian, the roan was a $15,000 (CDN) purchase at the 2022 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale.
Other starters include Souper Supreme, a daughter of Souper Speedy, who won last year’s Muskoka and Victorian Queen Stakes.
Bred by Ericka Rusnak, the 3-year-old filly, 3-1-0 ($178,183 in purse earnings) from five starts, is trained by Mark Casse for owners Gary Barber and Michael Langlois.
Field for the Algoma
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Speedy Freeze (S) – Ryan Munger – Ron Sadler
2 – Regal Moment – Fraser Aebly – Stuart Simon
3 – Just Magnificent – David Moran – Evette Chartrand-Hoek
4 – Souper Supreme – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
5 – Little Teddy – Austin Adams – Santino Di Paola
6 – Hoodless – Pietro Moran – Kevin Attard
7 – Spirit Bear – Keveh Nicholls – Philip Hall
$100,000 ELGIN STAKES – for 3-year-old and 4-year-old colts & geldings, foaled in Canada. 7 furlongs on the main track. Race
Nine colts and geldings are set to clash in the Elgin Stakes.
Trained by John Ross, who owns in partnership with Rijack Farm and Jim Aston, Its Time to Shine, a son of Souper Speedy out of the Eddington mare, champion Platinum Steel, heads into the Elgin off a winning effort in the Pink Lloyd Stakes, a six-furlong main track race for Ontario-sired 4-year-olds and up.
The 4-year-old bay debuted on May 12, 2024, at Woodbine, and finished second, a head back of the winner, in a 6 ½-furlong main track race. He broke his maiden in his fourth start, on July 28 of that year, at the same distance and over the same surface.
Third in last year’s running of the Lake Erie Stakes, he won three consecutive races from December 15, 2024, to May 18, 2025.
Its Time to Shine brings a 5-3-2 mark ($229,875 in purse earnings) from 16 starts into his third lifetime stakes engagement.
Bred by Ericka Rusnak, the colt was a $40,000 (CDN) purchase at the 2022 Canadian Premier Yearling Sale.
Other starters include Queenston Stakes runner-up Regal Guest and multiple stakes placed Kekoa.
Field for the Elgin
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Kekoa – Fraser Aebly – Catherine Day Phillips
2 – Summer Commander – Jose Campos – Stuart Simon
3 – Criminal Intent – Sofia Vives – Steve Flint
4 – Frost Bitten – Leo Salles – Mike De Paulo
5 – Sunday's Well – David Moran – Terry Brooker
6 – Friendly Ghost – Sahin Civaci – Evette Chartrand-Hoek
7 – Shadow Realm – Pietro Moran – Sid Attard
8 – Regal Guest – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
9 – Its Time to Shine – Rafael Hernandez – John Ross
First race post time for Sunday is 1:05 p.m. Fans can wager on all the action through HPIbet.com and bet365.com.
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
