The Mark Casse stable at Woodbine has reigned supreme for the better part of a decade and not much has changed early in the 2022 season. In fact, with the horse shortage issue throughout Canada and North America, Casse often has two or three horses in Woodbine races (thankfully).
Sunday the stable won four of the 10 races, following three on Saturday making for an 8 for 27 week at the Toronto track.
American-based trainer Jonathan Thomas, who has horses under the care of Woodbine trainer Katerina Vassilieva, sent out two lopsided winners on the weekend including the impressive maiden winner EMPRESS TIGRESS on Sunday, a $410,000 Ocala 2-year-old purchase in April 2021. The Classic Empire filly had worked two furlongs for the sale in :20 2/5.
But back to the Casse team, which could have easily won perhaps another one or two on Sunday, but Queen’s Plate contender HALL OF DREAMS just missed and KNOW HOW was third.
A summary of its winners: JIBARO broke from the rail post for his career debut in race 1, a maiden allowance, and led all the way under Kazushi Kimura. The Frosted 3-year-old is owned by M Racing Group, owned by Mickey Gonzalez.
Casse had three horses of the nine in the maiden optional claiming, race 2, and finished 1-2 with STYLISH GENT and Declan Carroll wearing down Framed to win the seven-furlong race. Stylish Gent, racing for a $40,000 claiming price for the first time, is a homebred for Penny and Manfred Conrad.
Classy graded stakes winner SKYWIRE, making his first start since July 2021 and first start in a race that was not a stakes event since March 202, won race 7 at generous odds of 5-to-1. Owned by Gary Barber and Lou Tucci, the 6-year-old by Afleet Alex is an Ontario-bred who has 6 wins in 17 races and he has won two graded stakes races. Rafael Hernandez rode. Incidentally, the winner’s stablemate Helium was second with Emma-Jayne Wilson.
Wilson came right back and won on the Casse-trained MANNIX (Ire) a 3-year-old in from Florida owned by D J Stable. The colt, now for 2-for-9, is by Australia (GB).
*Other Sunday winners included VEERY, a homebred filly for Dr. Rolph Davis, who led throughout a 5 1/2 furlong dash and was hand-ridden to the wire by Daisuke Fukumoto. Robert Tiller trains the 4-year-old by Giant Gizmo.
Ralph Biamonte sent out his first runner of 2022 in race 4, FUNICULI, and the Society’s Chairman 4-year-old rode the rail and zipped to victory in the allowance/optional race at 7 furlongs. Mary Biamonte and Robert Lippa own Funiculi who was ridden by Kaushi Kimura. Don MacRae and his team continue to roll along, sending out SOLAR for its fourth winner of the season. This 6-year-old is owned by MacRae and Michael Lay and it was the gelding’s first outing of the year.
The sixth race, a maiden allowance at 1 1/16 miles, had some Queen’s Plate prospects in the mix including the aforementioned Hall of Dreams (Lemon Drop Kid) who has been a bit frustrating for the Casse team with another second-place finish. The one who held him off was WINSTON BLUE, a dark bay colt by Tale of Ekati – Luna Blu by Lemon Drop Kid, owned by John Menary and trainer Gail Cox,
Winston Blue and jockey Shaun Bridgmohan stayed close to a slow early pace and grabbed the lead in the stretch. The colt was bred by Rijack Farm and Scott Fairlie and he was a $22,000 purchase by Cox at the CTHS yearling sale at Woodbine in 2020.
Carlos Grant sent out his first winner of the season when WENJACK won the last race with an aggressive ride by Luis Contreras.
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