Champion Souper Escape Victorious in Trillum Photo
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Photo: Michael Burns
Live Oak Plantation runners finish 1-2 in the Trillium Stakes, with Souper Escape (inside) outlasting Crystal Glacier at Woodbine
Defending champion Souper Escape just held off Crystal Glacier at the wire to win the $150,000 Trillium Stakes (G3) June 26 at Woodbine. It was a 1-2 finish for Sovereign Award-winning owner Live Oak Plantation, which also bred the winner.
Jockey Luis Contreras was aboard Souper Escape for her front-running journey in the 1-1/16-mile main track feature for fillies and mares four years old and up.
Trained by Mike Trombetta, Canada's reigning champion older main track female was sharp leaving the gate and quickly established the lead into the first turn in her season debut. She clocked fractions of :24.24 to the quarter, :48.42 to the half-mile mark, and 1:11.54 to three-quarters while turning back the stalking Red Cabernet.
Souper Escape continued to lead the way into the stretch, with Skygaze looming outside of Merveilleux . However, Crystal Glacier, who followed the leader throughout, proved to be the biggest threat with a late lunge down the lane under Kazushi Kimura to fall a nose short. Skygaze completed the trifecta.
Souper Escape and Crystal Glacier duel to the wire
"It was close, but I thought I had a pretty good chance to win the race," said Contreras after getting the nod in the photo finish with a winning time was 1:43.12. "By the way my filly was acting in the post parade, I knew she was going to be sharp. So I knew she was going to be on the lead no matter what. I was just trying to make her relax to have some horse at the end."
The 5-year-old Medaglia d'Oro mare, who won the Trillium and seven-furlong Seaway Stakes (G3) in back-to-back fashion last summer at Woodbine, improved her lifetime record to 7-2-3 from 20 starts. Making her first start since seventh in the Nov. 21 Bessarabian Stakes (G2) at Woodbine, Souper Escape paid $9.20.
Bred in Florida, Souper Escape is out of the Street Cry mare Cry and Catch Me , winner of the 2007 Oak Leaf Stakes (G1). The dam has produced seven foals, of which four are winners from five to race. She also has an already 2-year-old filly named Tag Her (Uncle Mo ), and she foaled a Justify filly this year.
Mark Casse trainees finished second through fourth in the Trillium, with Heavenly Curlin closing to complete the superfecta. Merveilleux was fifth, with Royal Wedding , Brassy , and Red Cabernet completing the order of finish.