Conquest Enforcer will tackle older company for the first time in Saturday’s loaded Grade 2 $200,000 Play the King Stakes, at Woodbine.
Trained by Mark Casse for Conquest Stables LLC, the three-year-old Into Mischief colt has won three of four career starts while hinting at being the next great horse from the popular stable.
“I think this horse has the potential to be a very good horse and I think his wheelhouse is going to be seven-eighths to a mile,” said Casse. “This is a big step for him on Saturday. He’s beat up on the three-year-olds, but now he’s got to prove himself against the big boys.”
The compact seven-horse field for the Play the King, a seven furlong turf tilt, features graded stakes winners Dimension, Passion for Action, Ami’s Flatter and Tower of Texas.
Conquest Enforcer debuted in September in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes, a one-turn mile on the turf, when fourth to Conquest Daddyo, the likely favourite in Sunday’s $500,000 Breeders’ Stakes. The talented bay, bred in Ontario by Tall Oaks Farm, then completed a compact juvenile season with a romping 6 3/4-length score in the grassy Cup and Saucer Stakes.
His three-year-old debut, a 7 3/4-length score in the main track Queenston Stakes, was an eye-catching score that garnered a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure. Last time out, on the turf in the one-mile Charlie Barley Stakes, Conquest Enforcer regressed slightly while winning by 1 1/4-lengths in front of the rallying duo of Springhouse and Conquest Daddyo. Conquest Enforcer earned an 88 Beyer number for the effort under regular pilot Patrick Husbands.
“I thought it was good, not great,” said Casse of the Charlie Barley win. “I think he was a little confused when Patrick made him switch leads a couple times. If he’s going to be what we hope he can be, he’ll have to come with a better performance on Saturday. We’ve given him every opportunity to grow up and it’s time now to figure out where he stands.”
On paper, Conquest Enforcer, a gate-to-wire winner in his last two outings, could be the Play the King pacesetter in a field of older horses that prefer to run from off the pace. Casse, however, doesn’t feel his colt needs to be on the lead to win.
“Not at all. He’s won from off the pace. It’s just the last couple races no one else has wanted the lead,” said Casse. “He’s been training excellent. Earlier on, he had some real fast works, but now that he’s up and fit we don’t feel he has to go out and work as fast every time. He’s worked well, we’re happy where he’s at and it’s time for him to figure out if he can play with the older horses.”
Dimension, trained by Conor Murphy for his Riverside Bloodstock LLC, arrives at the Play the King on a two-race win streak over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course that includes Grade 2 victories in the Connaught Cup and King Edward Stakes. The eight-year-old Medicean gelding went six starts without a win ahead of his Connaught Cup score. Sent to post at odds of 20-1, Dimension rallied from last of five to win by a half-length over Play the King rival Passion for Action.
In the King Edward, dismissed again at odds of 17-1, Dimension was next to last in the early running before making a bold move through the turn to emerge at the head of the lane with a two-length lead. The dark bay, with David Moran up, persevered the length of the lane for a 1 1/4-length score over the rallying duo of Solemn Tribute and Tower of Texas.
Tower of Texas enjoyed a solid 2015 season posting a record of 3-2-0 from six starts. The five-year-old Street Sense gelding lost a heartbreaker in last year’s Play the King when defeated a nose by Reporting Star. His best effort came in the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes when he swept to a 2 3/4-length score. Tower of Texas, looking for his first win of 2016, will be ridden by Alan Garcia.
Passion for Action, trained by Mike DePaulo for owner-breeder Ben Hutzel, is in the midst of a breakthrough campaign with three wins from six starts including scores in the Grade 3 Vigil, at seven furlongs on the Tapeta, and a dramatic last out score in the grassy Grade 2 Highlander when a neck better than Play the King rival Green Mask. The four-year-old Speightstown colt, out of the Stormy Atlantic mare Maritime Passion, thrives on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course over which he boasts a career record of three wins and three seconds in eight attempts. Eurico Rosa da Silva, Woodbine’s leading rider, has the call.
Ami’s Flatter, trained by Josie Carroll for owner-breeder Ivan Dalos, will try the turf for the first time on Saturday. The four-year-old Flatter colt captured the Grade 3 Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland in April while earning a field-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure. With a record of 3-2-1 from 11 starts, it’s worth noting that all three scores came at a distance of seven furlongs. Luis Contreras will ride.
Green Mask and Glenville Gardens, who won the prep for this event in a swift 1:13.3, complete a talented field.
“It’s a tall task,” admits Casse. “I’ve always figured a good three-year-old needs to be a great three-year-old to beat older horses at this time of year. He’s excellent on synthetic, but for him to be able to compete outside of Canada and to open up his options, he needs to be able to compete on the grass.”
The Play the King is slated as Race 8 on Saturday’s 10-race card. First post time is 1PM. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIBet.Com.
FIELD FOR THE GRADE 2 $200,000 PLAY THE KING STAKES POST / HORSE / JOCKEY / TRAINER
1 / Dimension / David Moran / Conor Murphy
2 / Conquest Enforcer / Patrick Husbands / Mark Casse
3 / Green Mask / Jesse Campbell / Brad Cox
4 / Glenville Gardens / Gary Boulanger / Sid Attard
5 / Passion for Action / Eurico Rosa da Silva / Mike DePaulo
6 / Ami’s Flatter / Luis Contreras / Josie Carroll
7 / Tower of Texas / Alan Garcia / Roger Attfield
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
