BIG DAY FOR CASSE?
Three more to win to break Passero record
Woodbine’s leading trainer MARK CASSE is set to break a 15-year-old record, perhaps this weekend, as he is just 3 wins short of passing FRANK PASSERO’S mark of 89 wins in one Woodbine season.
Thanks to a 4-bagger on Friday (!!), the trainer is zooming right along right now. Patrick Husbands rode three of the winners and has long been a main man for Casse.
Passero won 89 in 1995 with 413 runners. Casse, who has access to a couple of hundred horses both at Woodbine and a nearby training centre, has started less currently – 376.
Ahead of his nearest rival by 47 victories in 2011, Casse has posted 10 consecutive top-five finishes in the standings.
He’ll send out six horses on Saturday and two on Sunday.
He has a reasonable chance to get 1 in the DAILY DOUBLE – he has a favoured 2yo in race one and a pair of fillies in race 2.
In the 4th race – which was a turf 2yo race but now is on the main track (don’t expect grass racing for at least a week with lots of rain coming next week too). He has a 1ster named I CAT and a good one named SATURDAY CLASSIC, should both go.
EXETER ROAD is entered for grass but is an unbeaten fellow, HIPPOYLTUS is in the tough Ontario Derby and MIDDLE OF THE NITE and EDDIE SET GO contend in the finale.
Prediction – the barn ties the record today.
READ A STORY ON MARK here: (shameless plug, it was written by yours truly..!)
http://www.casseracing.com/trainers/casse/index.cfm?menuid=234
STANDINGS
1 Mark E. Casse 376 87 60 49 $4,942,810 23% 196 52%
2 Reade Baker 185 40 28 22 $2,115,088 22% 90 49%
3 Steven M. Asmussen 164 32 33 24 $1,107,617 20% 89 54%
4 Sid C. Attard 197 29 40 35 $2,059,773 15% 104 53%
5 Josie Carroll 110 26 8 10 $2,250,566 24% 44 40%
5 Robert P. Tiller 195 26 32 27 $1,518,511 13% 85 44%
7 Roger L. Attfield 129 23 23 23 $1,895,976 18% 69 53%
8 Michael J. Doyle 190 21 21 18 $1,255,216 11% 60 32%
8 Brian A. Lynch 110 21 16 22 $1,061,854 19% 59 54%
8 Scott H. Fairlie 161 21 21 29 $776,032 13% 71 44%
One of Casse’s proudest days this year was the Grade 1 win by canadian bred POOL PLAY in the Stephen Foster, a difficult project that came to fruition
TODAY AT WOODBINE
With PENDER HABROUR in Pennsylavania with LUIS CONTRERAS at 12 to 1 in the Penn. Derby, the ONTARIO DERBY is a showdown for MOONSHINE MULLIN, who will be heavily bet off his Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes runs.
The son of Albert the Great will have the blinkers off as he will try to relax after being keyed up it the Travers.
DERBY KITTEN invades with Mike Smith up, and BOWMAN’S CAUSEWAY, who needs a very delciate ride, covered up, is back again and he sure is overdue to win one of these things. OH CANADA is a very dangerous front runner today, watch out.
Should be a doozy.
Ontario Derby
Purse $150,000. (Plus $30,000 – State Bred). For Three-Year-Olds. By subscription of $150 each which shall accompany the nomination and an additional $1,500 when making entry. The purse to be divided: 60% to the winner, 20% to second, 10% to third, 5% to fourth, 2% to fifth,1% to sixth, 1% to seventh, 1% to eighth. Weight: 124 Lbs. Non-winners of a Sweepstakes of $60,000 three times at a mile or over in 2011, allowed 3 Lbs.; Of a Sweepstakes of $60,000 twice at a mile or over in 2011, 5 Lbs.; Of a Sweepstakes of $60,000 once at a mile or over in 2011, 7 Lbs. (No Canadian Bred Allowance.) (Closed with 18 Nominations) Final entries to be made through the entry box at the closing time then in effect for overnight events. A supplemental nomination may be made no later than the time of final entry, by a non-refundable fee of $3,000, which includes the entry fee. *Plus up to $16,200 Ontario Sired/Ontario Bred Breeder Awards. One And One Eighth Miles. (All Weather Track)
P# PP Horse Virtual
Stable A/S Med Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1 Moonshine Mullin (KY) 3/C L E Wilson 119 R Baker 5/2
2 2 Silverleo (KY) 3/G L S Callaghan 117 D J Vella 20/1
3 3 Derby Kitten (KY) 3/C L M E Smith 119 M J Maker 3/1
4 4 Alpha Bettor (KY) 3/C L J McAleney 117 D J Vella 15/1
5SCRATCHED.. 5 Pender Harbour (ON) 3/G L L Contreras 121 M P De Paulo 4/1
6 6 Nanaimo (ON) 3/G L R A Dos Ramos 117 B J Minshall 20/1
7 7 Hippolytus (ON) 3/G L P Husbands 117 M E Casse 6/1
8 8 Bowman’s Causeway (ON) 3/R L E R Da Silva 117 C C Brown 6/1
9 9 Oh Canada (ON) 3/G L O Moreno 119 R P Tiller 8/1
JAKE’S TAKE
Hey, Jake’s first selection off his little vacation (he was battling a sore tummy) was 4th in the Natalma for all you superfecta players. He has a record of 3 wins, 4 top 4 placings in 8 picks.
Today, Jake is gong with the fleet fellow RED EAGLE in race 6. He’s a big fan of that sire Legal Jousting and this is a pretty good runner. Woof!
FRIDAY AT WOODBINE
Making a case for Casse
On a very rainy Friday, Mark Casse won 4 races, one even got into a world of trouble, Patrick Husbands won 3 of those and it does not hurt to be close to the pace on a wet Polytrack.
The Casse brigade started with WHO DAT AMBUSH, who stalked and won for Husbands in race 2, for 2yos, $32,000 claiming. The Ontario bred Orientate fellow, bred by Adena Springs, has several familiar owners.
BAKERS WOODS went from a drab debut outing for maiden allowance to a maiden score for $25K in race 3 for Eugene Melnyk and Casse and Husbands. He is by Forestry.
Casse trains Quintessential Florda’s and Danny Zita’s FORESTER’S MIST, wo won her maiden at the maiden allowance (Ontario sired) level in race 5. She is an Old Forester gal out of C’mon Surprise and was bred by Zita.
Finally, WINSTAR FARMS’ BLACKSTONE BAY was squeezed back and lost many lengths on the turn of race 8 but he came around and got past the good JOLSON to win for $40K claiming for Casse and jockey Luis Contreras.
The featured event of the day was the finale, a first level allowance at 10 furlongs and it went to Stronach Stables’ PEASANT, trained by Reade Baker. The Kentucky bred by Awesome Again posted a 75 Beyer Figure in his win off a short layoff. Emma-Jayne Wilson rode the winner.
WHAT HORSE HAS WON MORE RACES IN CANADA THAN ANY OTHER?
It’s a Tie!
DAKOTA WARRIOR, based at Northlands Park and DASHING DAISY. The latter, a British Columbia based filly is 6 for 7 this year with $108,784 in earnings. She has won the Delta Colleen and BC Cup Distaff Handicap and surely is a contrender for older mare of the year in Canada.
She is a BC bred by Maass Market bred by Tod Mtn. Thoroughbreds.
Dakota Warrior is a claiming filly by A P Warrior.
