South Ocean Stakes

Purse $150.00 – For Fillies Two Years Old Foaled In ON

7 Furlongs – Dirt

Woodbine – October 18, 2026

Seven two-year-old Ontario-bred fillies enter the starting gate this Sunday at Woodbine for the 18th running of the South Ocean Stakes! This race has served as a stepping stone for young fillies to gain stakes experience before the season ends, which could lead to bigger and better things next year. The South Ocean Stakes was originally run around two turns, but was changed to a sprint starting in 2020. Last year was the first time it was carded at seven furlongs. Though Arindel has departed HRP, his consecutive victories in 2022 and 2023 still put him atop this race’s all-time owner standings. Tariff Terror established the standard at the new distance in the last edition, stopping the clock in 1:22.30 to set a stakes record that this year’s field will be looking to lower. Several fillies enter off maiden wins, while the field also includes an allowance winner, runners with stakes experience, and one still seeking her first victory. That range of form should make this an interesting race to handicap. Let’s go through each contender!

1. Make Another Haggis – (The Sidley Stud, W T. Buick) Make Another Haggis is the first of three entries this year for The Sidley Stud. She has finished in the top three in all four starts, opening her career with a narrow second and a third before breaking her maiden at 5½ furlongs on dirt at ALB in June. After nearly four months away, the daughter of Ginger Haggis switched to turf and stretched out to a mile at BTP last time out. She led throughout that allowance race, eventually drawing clear to win by three lengths. That victory was her second in a row and showed she could carry her speed over a longer distance on a new surface. This homebred now cuts back to seven furlongs and steps into stakes company for the first time.

2. Killer Performance – (Mb Stables, P. Moran) This Mb Stables homebred broke through in her third start sprinting on the main track. Killer Performance finished seventh in her debut at LS, then improved to fourth while beaten only a length. At MTH on August 30, she took the lead early in a six-furlong MSW and held on by half a length in 1:09.84. That front-running win gave this filly something to build on as she has continued to work regularly since, including two six-furlong drills at Belmont this month. All three of her starts have come at six furlongs or shorter on dirt, so Killer Performance will be trying seven furlongs for the first time. She also makes the jump straight from a maiden win into stakes company.

3. Pumpkin Pie – (Mo Mentum Farm, D. Moran) Pumpkin Pie is a Mo Mentum Farm homebred who has made just one start, finishing fourth in a six-furlong MSW at Belterra on October 6th. She was tenth in the early stages but made up ground late to finish only a length behind the winner. That closing effort gives her connections some hope as she stretches out to seven furlongs, though this filly remains a maiden and now faces stakes company. Her pedigree adds some interest: her dam, Lakota Wind, is a graded stakes winner on grass, and Pumpkin Pie is a half-sibling to two winners. She will need to take a significant step forward from her debut but there was certainly some promise in the way she finished.

4. Patch Games – (The Sidley Stud, R W. Walcott) The second of The Sidley Stud’s three entries and another homebred. Patch Games came close in her first three starts, finishing second, third, and fourth while never beaten by more than a length. Stretching out to a mile at PID on August 10th brought her first victory. She raced sixth early, advanced into contention, and won the race by half a length. Now this daughter of Spankersville turns back to seven furlongs after finding success at a longer distance. Patch Games has not raced since that win and will be making her stakes debut, but her consistent efforts give her a solid foundation for the step up. It’s worth noting that some of those outings were on off-tracks.

5. Jolly Ginger – (The Sidley Stud, S. Civaci) Jolly Ginger completes The Sidley Stud’s three-horse contingent and, like Make Another Haggis, is a daughter of Ginger Haggis. She broke her maiden here at WO in May, winning a five-furlong race by three lengths in her second start. After returning from a break, this two-year-old finished sixth in the Fillies Overnight Stakes before improving to third in the Muskoka Stakes over the same distance two weeks later. Jolly Ginger was beaten two lengths in that latest effort, giving her a stakes placing as she moves on to this race. Seven furlongs will be a new distance for her, and The Sidley Stud is also taking off the shadow roll she wore in her last two starts.

6. Rekindled Grace – (Mb Stables, R M. Hernandez) Mb Stables’ second and final entry is another homebred that has finished first or second in all three starts. She won a two-furlong MSW at Tampa by a head in April, then missed by the same margin in a 5½-furlong allowance at MTH in June. Rekindled Grace moved up for the Muskoka Stakes here at WO on August 30th and led into the stretch before losing by a nose over 6½ furlongs. Jolly Ginger finished third in that same race. With each of Rekindled Grace’s three finishes decided by a head or less, she has shown she can fight in a close race. The question now is whether this filly can carry that speed another half-furlong. This is going to be my top pick.

7. Cheveley Battle – (D J C Racing Stables, E J. Wilson) Cheveley Battle is the only filly in this field with a win at seven furlongs. She finished third in her first two starts at shorter distances before stretching out at WO on August 16th. Racing fourth early, she made up five lengths and got up by a nose to break her maiden in 1:23.43. The D J C Racing Stables runner has now finished in the money as the favorite in all three starts, with her best result coming at the distance she faces here. Cheveley Battle was bred by Mo Mentum Farm, which also bred fellow entrant Pumpkin Pie. This is her first test against stakes company, but she arrives with proven form over the exact trip. A serious contender.

– AJM

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded