Casse fillies finish 1-2 in Star Shoot Stakes at Woodbine

Supplemental entry Sly Beauty and stablemate Closer Still swept the top two spots in the $100,000 Star Shoot Stakes on Saturday for trainer Mark Casse, a three-time stakes winner already this season at the Woodbine meet.

Debby Oxley’s homebred Sly Beauty swung outside in the stretch and closed late off a ground-saving trip to post an 11-1 upset in the six-furlong sprint for three-year-old fillies while Calumet Farm’s Closer Still finished second after setting fractions of :22.85 and :45.50. Sly Beauty prevailed by half a length in 1:10.03. Heavy 2-5 favourite Dream It Is challenged the pacesetter, but gave way late between the top two fillies and settled for third. Magic Spell finished fourth and Wild Lute completed the field back in fifth.

Jockey Eurico Rosa Da Silva was aboard Sly Beauty for his first stakes win of the meet, coming off a 2017 campaign in which he just missed Woodbine’s single-season record for stakes victories.

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“I gave her a big warm up and the last quarter was tough,” said Da Silva. “She was running off with me and I was very close to clipping a heel there one time. Finally, in the turn she gave me a little break and when I swung outside she just took off from there. She ran a big race.

“I think she’s very, very talented. I really liked the way she ran and I think you’re going to see her more times here [in the winner’s circle].”

Moving off the turf and returning to Woodbine for the first time since last June when she broke her maiden, the Into Mischief-Vision of Beauty filly returned $24.50 to win. The Casse trainees combined for a 1-3 exacta worth $71.20.

Sly Beauty is now two-for-five in her career with earnings climbing to $93,871.

“She can be a little nervous and I think Eurico did a good job in warm up,” said assistant trainer Kathryn Sullivan. “Nothing phases him too much so he was pretty relaxed on her. It was a little bit tight in there, I wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but he just never gave up on her. He had a lot of confidence, which I think helped a lot.”

Live racing resumes on Mother’s Day, Sunday afternoon at Woodbine Racetrack at 1 p.m., with reigning Horse of the Year Pink Lloyd seeking his 10th straight stakes win in the $100,000 New Providence Stakes. The $125,000 Marine Stakes (Grade 3), a 1-1/16 mile prep for next month’s Queen’s Plate, is also co-featured on the nine-race program.