Piper’s Gift unwraps Glorious Song score
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TORONTO, October 12, 2025 – Piper’s Gift, the 6-5 choice, strolled to an easy score in the $125,000 Glorious Song Stakes, Sunday at Woodbine.
An Ontario homebred for Chiefswood Stable, the bay filly settled into stride in third along the rail through the early going in the seven-furlong main track event for 2-year-old fillies, as Ada Clare, who broke running, took her six rivals through an opening panel in :23.54.
Ada Clare, at 21-1, continued to lead the way through a half in :47.30, as Rafael Hernandez, aboard Piper’s Gift, brought his charge off the rail and quickly pounced on the pacesetter strides away from coming out of the turn for home.
Seizing the lead in early stretch, Piper’s Gift picked up the pace and proceeded to pull away from her foes with ease. Ahead by 1 ½ lengths at Robert Geller’s stretch call, she continued to pour it on in the late stages en route to a commanding 5 ½-length score. Ada Clare was second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Sweet Fusion. Sacred Goddess finished fourth. Dunmore Beach was scratched.
The final time was 1:23.56.
"Nothing is easy in the races, you have to make choices,” said Hernandez. “And the boss here just told me, ‘Rafi, try to give me a smart race. I know usually, maybe one guy says he's smarter than everybody, but you know, when you got the horse, obviously you look smart. So, I got the horse today. I look smart today.”
It was the first stakes trophy and second win from four starts for Piper’s Gift, who was second in her debut at Woodbine on July 26, before a fifth in the Catch a Glimpse Stakes on August 16.
She came into Glorious Song off a masterful maiden-breaking score on September 20 at Woodbine.
Sent off at 5-2 in the six-furlong main track maiden special weight race, Piper’s Gift stalked the pace before ranging up three wide near the quarter pole on her way to an eight-length victory in 1:10.95.
Trainer Dale Desruisseaux, who has crafted a career-best campaign, lauded the daughter of Yorkton out of the Silent Name (JPN) mare Piper’s Legacy.
“You know, you're always worried about a bounce a little bit, but she had probably her best breeze all year in the interim,” said Desruisseaux.
“She’s maturing every week. She’s getting to relax a little bit more. Like today, Rafi said he could have been on the lead if he wanted to, and she sat in behind a horse, and she just needed that little shut off, and I think she's going mature to do that (go long).”
Piper’s Gift, whose groom is Kyle MacDonald, paid $4.70 for Sunday’s victory.
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
Grace Martin