Twist of Sugar eyes Catch a Glimpse crown / Longhi takes to the turf for bet365 Soaring Free

TORONTO, August 13, 2025 – Twist of Sugar, a daughter of Cupid, steps up to the stakes ranks for her second start, the $150,000 Catch a Glimpse, Saturday at Woodbine.

Eight hopefuls, including Twist of Sugar, are set to go postward in the Catch a Glimpse, a 6 ½-furlong test over the E.P. Taylor turf for 2-year-old fillies. 

Trained by Steven Chircop for owner and breeder Zilli Racing Stables (Robert Marzilli), the roan filly finished fourth in her career bow on July 26.

Sent off at 11-1 in the six-furlong sprint over a firm E.P. Taylor turf, Twist of Sugar set the pace from off the inside and went on to finish fourth, just 2 ½ lengths behind the winner.

“She was on the grass for the first time, which wasn’t the original plan,” said Chircop. “We had entered her in some races earlier that didn’t go, but she was working very well – she is the best 2-year-old that I have. She broke a bit slowly, which she has a habit of doing in the morning, and then within four jumps, she was on the lead pretty easily.

“I was worried she was going to be a work short – we had planned on running her five-eighths – and she probably was. She came out of the race doing very well and she showed that she can handle the turf.”

Chircop is hoping Twist of Sugar, out of the Candy Ride (ARG) mare Sugar Surge, can build off that first start.

“Being on the lead as she was, with that long E.P. Taylor stretch, I think she was looking at the grandstand, too. This race is going a half-furlong further, so I am hoping we can ration her speed a little bit. I think if we do, she has as good a chance as anybody.”

Twist of Sugar breezed three furlongs in :36.00 over the Woodbine main track on August 9.

“Her stride is pretty big for a horse who is pretty compact. She is not the biggest horse in the world or the flashiest, but her works show her potential. We gave her a nice, easy work. Ryan Munger worked her and he’s going to ride her in the Catch a Glimpse. I told him we can go as slow as we need to in the work. She did it easily and galloped out well.”

The groom is Tariq Mayers-Bend.

The Catch a Glimpse was run for the first time in 2018, with My Gal Betty winning the inaugural edition. The race is named for Canada’s 2015 Horse of the Year, who won that race at Woodbine before capturing the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and five other graded turf stakes. Mark Casse trained the City Zip filly for owners Gary Barber, Michael James Ambler and Windways Farm.

The wagering menu for the race includes Rolling Double, Exacta, 0.20 Trifecta, 0.20 Superfecta, 0.20 Pick 3 (Races 5-6-7), 0.20 $400,00 Guaranteed Pick 5 (Races 5-6-7-8-9), $1 Swinger.

Fans can watch and wager on all the action through HPIbet.com and bet365.com.

Field for the Catch a Glimpse Stakes – Race 5

Post – Horse – Jockey - Trainer

1 – Dyna – Flavien Prat – Kevin Attard

2 – Piper’s Gift (S) – Rafael Hernandez – Dale Desruisseaux

3 – Corsia Veloce – Fraser Aebly – Josie Carroll

4 – Kinzie Girl – Jose Campos – Mike De Paulo

5 – Twist of Sugar – Ryan Munger – Steven Chircop

6 – Sweet Fusion – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

7 – On My Time – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse

8 – Nacho Problem – John Velazquez – Amelia Green

Chris Lomon, Woodbine


Longhi takes to the turf for bet365 Soaring Free

TORONTO, August 13, 2025 – Longhi, trained by multiple graded stakes winner Graham Motion, will test out the stakes ranks for the first time in the $150,000 bet365 Soaring Free, a 6 ½-furlong race over the E.P. Taylor turf for 2-year-olds, Saturday at Woodbine.

Part of a King’s Plate card that also features five stakes, the Soaring Free has attracted nine hopefuls, including Longhi.

The grey colt, a Kentucky homebred for Wertheimer et Frere, heads into the race off an adventure-filled win on July 18 at Colonial Downs.

Body checked at the outset of the 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight on the main track (the race was originally scheduled for the turf), Longhi was settled near the back of the back in the 11-horse field. Saving ground into the turn for home, the colt, under Jorge Ruiz, had to find a seam behind a wall of rivals before swinging wide at the top of the lane.

After finding a clear run, Longhi powered home to win by 4 ¾ lengths in 1:06.00.

“The game plan was to go down there and race on the grass, and we felt pretty good about it,” said Motion. “It came off the grass and he had always breezed pretty well on the dirt, so we decided to take a shot. He was very impressive and here we are. We have to go to the next level.

Jane Buchanan, racing manager for Motion’s stable, pointed out the Soaring Free as a good fit for Longhi.

“I thought it made a lot of sense,” said Motion. “I think he will appreciate going further. I had a conversation with the farm manager as to what we do next, whether we stick with the dirt because he won or go to the turf. I would be surprised if he is not a grass horse. Who knows? Maybe one day we will come back to the dirt. I think for now that this is the right path. We also have John Velazquez riding, which is a bonus.

“He has always been a straight-forward horse. Usually, when you start a horse early, it is usually because you like them and handle everything well. He was just one of those horses who went through everything that was asked of him and did it well.” 

The son of multiple Group 1 winner Caravaggio, out of Lovely Moment (ARG), by Equal Stripes (ARG), breezed five furlongs in 1:01:20 at Fair Hill on August 7.

“He has always been a very nice work horse, so I was very happy with that. My experience with a couple of Caravaggios has been very good. They are very good students. Two of my first few 2-year-old starters have been Caravaggios. They handle the program very well.” ​ 

Trainer Mark Casse sends out the trio of Casson, Jupiter, and Rude Procedure, who finished first, second and third, respectively, in the Victoria Stakes on July 12 at Woodbine.

Soaring Free, who lends this stakes his name, was Canada’s Horse of the Year and Outstanding Turf Male in 2004 after capturing the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile. Soaring Free retired in 2006 at age seven after trying for his third win in the Shakertown at Keeneland, losing by less than three lengths. He compiled a record of 15 wins (10 in stakes races) and four seconds in 27 starts and purse earnings of $2,110,371. The Sam-Son Farm homebred was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2013.

The wagering menu for the Soaring Free includes Rolling Double, Exacta, 0.20 Trifecta, 0.20 Superfecta, 0.20 Pick 3 (Races 11-12-13), $1 Swinger.

Fans can wager on all the action through HPIbet.com and bet365.com.

Field for the Soaring Free Stakes – Race 11

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Two Out Hero – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard

2 – Jutland – Sofia Vives – Kelsey Danner

3 – Longhi – John Velaquez – Graham Motion

4 – Casson – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

5 – Jupiter – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse

6 – Baytown Dreamer – Declan Cannon – Paul McEntee

7 – Mo Dodgy – Addiel Ayala – Kevin Rice

8 – Rude Procedure – Pietro Moran – Mark Casse

9 – Argos – Flavien Prat – Riley Mott

Chris Lomon, Woodbine

 

Grace Martin

Grace Martin

Communications Manager, Woodbine Entertainment

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About Woodbine Entertainment

Woodbine Entertainment is the largest horse racing operator in Canada, with Thoroughbred horse racing at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, and Standardbred horse racing at Woodbine Mohawk Park in Milton. Woodbine Entertainment also owns and operates HPIbet, Canada’s only betting platform dedicated to horse racing. Woodbine and Mohawk Park are host to several world-class racing events including The King’s Plate, three Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races, and the Pepsi North America Cup. Run without share capital, Woodbine Entertainment has a mandate to financially invest all profit back into the horse racing industry and the 25,000 jobs it supports across Ontario.

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