The first two-year-old stakes races of the Woodbine season took place on July 12 and favourites were in for a rough ride in the $125,000 events.
Manfred and Penny Conrad’s CASSON, a steel grey colt by Caravaggio from Zee Ro Drop by Lemon Drop Kid, got the jump on his favoured stablemate Jupiter and won the Victoria Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs under jockey Rafael Hernandez.
A debut winner by four lengths on May 11, Casson was quick out of the gate on a very hot and humid afternoon over a slow Tapeta surface. He was pushed along for a spell by first-time starter Valley of Kings and another stablemate, Rude Procedure, but darted clear late on the turn and he powered home in front to win by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:04.31.
The third Casse entrant, Jupiter, also a debut winner, was slightly delayed behind horses in the small field and he closed well, but too late.
Casson was bought by the Conrads for $200,000 from the Keeneland September Sale last fall from Ontario breeders Ballycroy Training Centre and Jeremiah Rudin’s Villa Rosa Farms.
Caravaggio is now in Japan, but he had a super beginning to his stud career. He is a son of Scat Daddy. Casson’s dam Zee Ro Drop won one of 15 races and is a half-sister to Federico Tesio Stakes winner The Reds and two other stakes-placed horses. Zee Ro Drop’s first foal is placed Rideau Hall, who was a late scratch Sunday when injured at the gate.
BORDER CZAR, owned and trained by Barbara Minshall, rallied from off a hot pace to win the My Dear Stakes, also under Rafael Hernandez. A debut winner from well off a fast pace, the bay filly from the first crop of Beau Liam out of the mare Adalee, by Street Boss, had a similar journey in the My Dear as she rated off front-runner Thank You Amy, favoured based on a smart debut win at Presque Isle. Thank You Amy could not stay as she was hounded by Sapphire Beach and Souper Sporty.
Border Czar motored down the track to the lead while a pair of Mark Casse trainees, Abdul and Pina Colada, came roaring from very far off the pace to finish 2nd and 4th. Pageant Queen, by Point of Entry, landed third.
Southern Comfort Farm bred Border Czar in Kentucky and her dam won two of eight starts and has produced two six-time winners from three other foals to race.
MORE SATURDAY:
XAREL FORDE, an apprentice rider doing very well at Woodbine, won the Daily Double that paid $728.00 for $2 dollars.
Forde, who is from Barbados, guided 35-to-1 shot Mad Dog n Joe to a front-running score in race 1, celebrating with a fist pump at the wire. He came back and brought the filly Grey Princess from well off the pace to win an inner turf claiming race for $10,000 at 10-to-1 for trainer Danny Yu. Grey Princess, who had not shown much in recent Florida races for $5,000 claiming, beat the boys thanks to a wildly fast pace up front.
Followers of the workouts at Woodbine would have been all over DIXIE LAW in race 4, a maiden special weight for two-year-old fillies at 6 furlongs on the turf. Trained by Dale Desruisseaux for owner and breeder Garland Williamson, Dixie Law was well prepared as she sat off the pace and between fillies, moved up and then bid to the lead in the stretch for a 1 1/2 length win in 1:09.94. Dixie Law is by Tiz the Law from Bit of Dixie.
KAREN CARROLL of TALBOT CREEK FARM won her first race as a Thoroughbred owner when TALBOT’S RIPLYN, trained by Josie Carroll, won a maiden special weight race at 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares. Karen Carroll bred the daughter of Midnight Lute from Another Flashback by Curlin. Carroll and husband Dr. Wayne Carroll have been in Standardbred racing for several decades and sell yearlings raised on their Shedden, ON, farm.
Talbot’s Riplyn is a full sister to Princess Elizabeth Stakes winner Jumpin Junie, bred by Carroll.
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