At a glance
- Status: In training
- Colt, Ontario-bred, foaled March 9, 2023
- By Upstart out of Dulce Arabe
- Trainer: Kevin Attard
- Acquired at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale
Behind the name
Born in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Michael Soles went to St. Thomas High School along with the three managing partners of Canuck Racing Club. They watched Soles excel on the rugby pitch and the gridiron, leading the Knights to a GMAA high school football title. He subsequently played for John Abbott College where he won a Distinguished Athlete Award and was inducted to its Hall of Distinction.
Sporting #22, Soles became one of the best football players ever to suit up for McGill University on his journey to being a multi-award winning All-Canadian who went fifth overall in the CFL draft. Over the course of 11 seasons as a pro, Soles became a CFL All-Star, Grey Cup winner, and the one of the Canada’s best football players.
A humble hero with a burning desire to be great.
Over his three seasons at McGill, Soles averaged 112 yards rushing per game, reaching the 100-yard plateau 19 times in 25 games and becoming the school’s all-time leading rusher. Among the 48 awards the young upstart won as a Redmen, he was named Team MVP in each season he played, twice won the Forbes Trophy as McGill’s male Athlete of the Year, was the first McGill player to ever win the Peter Gorman Trophy as CIAU Rookie of the Year, and he was honoured three times as a conference all-star and twice as All-Canadian.
“In every generation, there are great ones but Soles distinguished himself as one of the all-time best,” recalled Charlie Baillie who was head coach of McGill’s University Football program for 29 seasons. “Nobody has had a greater impact on the legacy of the program.”
In his sophomore season, #22 led the Redmen to a stunning 32-16 upset over Bishop’s in the OQIFC championship game, a thrilling 30-29 win over Saint Mary’s in the Atlantic Bowl, and a 47-11 rout over heavily-favoured UBC in the 1987 Vanier Cup final in which Soles rushed for a McGill playoff record 203 yards and scored two touchdowns. Instrumental in snapping UBC’s 22-game win streak against Canadian university opponents, Soles became the first McGill player to win the Ted Morris trophy as the most outstanding player in the Vanier Cup game. The whole 1987 championship squad was inducted into the McGill Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.
Soles made every teammate two inches taller and 20 pounds heavier.
“Soles could’ve played quarterback, receiver, linebacker or safety,” shared Larry Ring, McGill’s defensive coordinator. “He had the ability to make big plays and I don’t remember him ever losing a yard while carrying the ball. Soles made every teammate two inches taller, 20 pounds heavier, stronger, faster and more confident. He was a quiet, unassuming guy with a burning desire to be great… a humble hero.”
Pro career
After leading McGill to its first-ever national football championship, Soles practiced with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers before becoming the first player from a Canadian university selected in the 1989 CFL Draft, going fifth in the first round to Edmonton. This started a 7-year career with the franchise in which Soles led the team with career-high rushing yards in 1992, won the Grey Cup the following year, and was named a Northern Division All-Star in 1995 when the CFL realigned to add five US teams in a Southern division while eight Canadian squads played in the North. Today, you’ll find Soles’ name on the Edmonton’s 1990’s All-Decade team.
In 1996, #22 signed with his hometown team, the newly re-established Montreal Alouettes. A huge part of the team’s rebirth, he became the face of the franchise and a leader on the field and in the community. In his first season with Montreal, Soles was elected a CFL All-Star and won the Lew Hayman Trophy as the most Outstanding Canadian Player in the East Division. The next year, he scored the franchise’s first touchdown after its return to the Percival Molson Memorial Stadium en route to a win over the BC Lions in the Eastern semifinal.
Synonymous with the nickname “Number 22”, Soles became a blocking fullback, opening gaps for all-time CFL rushing great Mike Pringle while protecting quarterback Tracy Ham, both later elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Pringle stated that he would have never gained the yards he did without Soles blocking for him.
Tallying a touchdown in his last professional game, Mike Soles retired from the CFL in April of 2000 with 3,007 rushing yards on 579 carries, 3,501 receiving yards on 325 receptions, and 70 career touchdowns (45 rushing).
Michael Soles was inducted into the McGill University Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.
In 2005, Soles was diagnosed with ALS, a neuro-degenerative condition also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Given 2-to-5-years to live, Soles courageously battled the terrible disease with the same determination, grit and courage with which he played football.
Eight years later in 2013, Mike went public with his diagnosis to drive awareness and fundraising efforts for ALS research. In 2014, his McGill teammates established the Michael Soles Football Award, an endowment fund that helps deserving student-athletes in need. In 2019, Mike proudly watched his 20-year-old son Matt get recruited into McGill’s football program.
On July 7, 2021, 16 years after receiving his diagnosis, Mike Soles died at 54 years of age and left behind his wife Catherine and children Justine, Matt, and Anthony.
Each year since his passing, the Annual Michael Soles Bowl has showcased high school football in the Montreal area, raising money for ALS Quebec and celebrating the contribution of a local hero to the sport he loved.
With several members who are alumni of McGill and it’s sports programs, the Canuck Racing Club is proud to honour #22 Soles: an elite Canadian athlete, a record-breaker, a champion, and a homegrown inspiration.
About the sire
New York-bred Upstart is a multiple graded stakes winner who was bought for $130,000 at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Preferred New York Bred Yearling Sale. He had 15 starts in his racing career from 2014 to 2016 and retired with a record of 4-3-4 and $1,732,780 in purse earnings. Ranked in the Top 100 by earnings in 2014, 2015, and 2016, Upstart‘s first-place finishes include the Funny Cide Stakes (black type) at Saratoga in 2014 with a 101 eSpeed figure, the G2 Holy Bull Stakes in 2015 with a 111 eSpeed, and the 2016 G3 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn which he won while registering 106. Upstart was also runner up in the 2015 G1 Florida Derby, third in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in 2014 and, in his last race, he finished third in the G1 Whitney Stakes with a 121 eSpeed.
Upstart was sired by Flatter who was sired by A.P. Indy, the progeny of American Triple Crown winner and millionaire Seattle Slew out of a dam sired by Secretariat. Flatter‘s dam was sired by Mr. Prospector out of a mare sired by Northern Dancer.
Upstart’s dam is Party Silks out of Kentucky-bred Touch Gold who earned more than $1.6 million going 6-3-1 in 15 starts with wins stakes including the G1 Belmont Stakes, G1 Buick Haskel Invitational Handicap, and the G2 Lexington Stakes. Touch Gold was sired by Deputy Minister out of Ontario-bred Passing Mood who was sired by Hall of Famer Buckpasser. Along with more than $1.4 million in purses and a record of 25-4-1 in 31 starts, Buckpasser earned his fifth Eclipse award as Champion Older Horse in 1967 after winning Horse of the Year, Champion Older Horse, and Champion 3 Year Old Colt in 1966 preceded by being named Champion 2 Year Old Colt in 1965.
Upstart has sired six crops of racing age, 405 foals of racing age, 105 current 2YOs, one champion, five graded black type winners, 20 black type winners, and 12 black type placers. His progeny have collectively earned $22,565,506 with the chief earner being Zandon, a multiple graded stakes winner who won the G1 Blue Grass Stakes and retired to stand at Spendthrift Farm after earning a 3-6-3 record and $2,200,000 in purses in his 14 starts.
About the dam
Dulce Arabe was sired by Kentucky-bred Speightstown who raced 16 times to claim a record of 10-2-2, more than $1.2 million in winnings, and a 2004 Eclipse Award as a Champion Sprinter. In nine stakes attempts, Speightstown only finished out of the money once and his wins included the G1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, the G2 Chuchill Downs Handicap, the G2 True North Breeders Cup Handicap, and the G2 Alfred G Vanderbilt Handicap.
Dulce Arabe is out of mare sired by Kentucky-bred Giant’s Causeway who won France’s G1 Prix de la Salamandre Stakes and Ireland’s G3 King of Kings Futurity Stakes while going 3-0 as a 2-year-old. The next year, he raced ten times and went 6-4-0. He finished first in a G3 and in five consecutive G1 races and was second across the wire in four other G1s, including his last career appearance in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (the only time Giant’s Causeway raced outside of Europe).
Sired by Storm Cat, Giant’s Causeway retired to stud with a record of 9-4-0 in 13 stars and more than $3 million in earnings.
