Already a stakes winner in her fledgling career, Corsia Veloce (Practical Joke) stayed undefeated in three races as she took the GI Natalma Stakes at Woodbine for trainer Josie Carroll.
The Ontario-bred filly was on home turf in Canada Saturday, having broken her maiden on the Tapeta July 6 before stealing a win in the Catch A Glimpse Stakes at 11-1 odds in her first try on the grass Aug. 16. Given only 12-1 odds despite having several familiar rivals behind her in that prior win, Corsia Veloce broke well from the fence slot and was happier to let the speed go on with things to her outside, settling fourth with one lap to run.
Eye-catching Ellis Park maiden winner Hot Mash (Not This Time) was sent to the front under Joel Rosario and led affairs on a clear lead onto the backstretch through the opening quarter in :23.81. As the field settled out largely single file, Corsia Veloce found herself closer to the front, splitting horses initially before taking aim back inside as 57-1 longshot La Culasse (Knicks Go) took over proceedings and opened up at the half-mile pole in :48.47.
The front four began to bunch up as they made their way around the far turn and Corsia Veloce had dead aim on the lead, again moving between horses to get a clear seam at the furlong pole. Race favorite Dance to the Music (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who spent much of the race running last, was coming flying down the outside but ultimately could do no better than fourth as Corsia Veloce nosed out Hot Mash and La Culasse to win.
“She's a very easy filly to ride,” said regular pilot Fraser Aebly, who earned his first Grade I victory. “She does everything right, and she makes you look good. This one's very special me, because of the connections. You know, the owners are very special, and so is the trainer. We have a very good connection going on here.”
“It is so special, and I've trained others in the family, which makes it feel even nicer for all of us,” added Carroll. “It's very exciting. A filly like this, you don't often go three-for-three with a baby like this, and the way she did it so gamely, it just gives you shivers.”
Co-breeder Glenn Sikura of Hill 'n' Dale Farm also heaped praise on the filly's team, saying, “The people at the farm who are forgotten all the time, they do such hard work and such great things, and they love these animals, and this is the greatest sport in the world. When you can get a win like this, I tell you, it's made my year.”
Pedigree Note:
Practical Joke has now sired 12 individual Grade/Group I winners with several of them having come from his time shuttling to South America. Glenn Sikura picked up first dam Beth's Bling (City Zip), a stakes-placed runner, from KEENOV in 2016 for $120,000. This is the family of MGSW/GISP El Kabeir (Scat Daddy). The mare has produced three winners from four to race and is still to be represented by a Violence filly born this year. She is due back to Violence for next season.
#1 CORSIA VELOCE ($26.50) is now a perfect 3 for 3 in her career after rallying between horses to win the $500,000 Natalma Stakes (G1) at Woodbine. The daughter of Practical Joke (@coolmoreamerica) was ridden by Fraser Aebly and is trained by Josie Carroll. pic.twitter.com/6THBD204Zw
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) September 13, 2025
Saturday, Woodbine
JOHNNIE WALKER NATALMA S.-GI, C$572,500, Woodbine, 9-13, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:37.42, fm.
1–CORSIA VELOCE, 121, f, 2, by Practical Joke
1st Dam: Beth's Bling (SP), by City Zip
2nd Dam: Got Bling, by Langfuhr
3rd Dam: Rose Colored Lady, by Formal Dinner
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($20,000 RNA
Ylg '24 KEESEP; $190,000 RNA 2yo '25 FTDJUL). O-Glenn Sikura
and Mario Serrani; B-Hill 'N' Dale Farms & M. Serrani (ON);
T-Josie Carroll; J-Fraser Aebly. C$360,000. Lifetime Record:
3-3-0-0, $378,117. Werk Nick Rating: A+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Hot Mash, 121, f, 2, by Not This Time
1st Dam: More Oats Please, by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Miss Yiayia, by Gilded Time
3rd Dam: Miss Baja, by Mr. Leader
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK
TYPE. ($375,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Avalon Racing Stables,
Main Line Racing Stable, Jonathan I. Green and Tilted
Shamrock Stables; B-Sally J. Andersen (KY); T-John C. Servis.
C$100,000.
3–La Culasse, 121, f, 2, by Knicks Go
1st Dam: Breech Inlet, by Holy Bull
2nd Dam: Muneefa, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: By Land by Sea, by Sauce Boat
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK
TYPE. ($70,000 Wlg '23 KEENOV). O-Al and Bill Ulwelling;
B-Mike Carroll (ON); T-Kevin Attard. C$60,000.
Margins: HF, NK, HF. Odds: 12.25, 5.05, 57.45.
Also Ran: Dance To The Music (GB), Deep Learning, Dixie Law, Star Attraction, Sweet Fusion, Pina Colada. Scratched: Dyna. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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