Beautiful Empire leads Casse's 1-2-3 sweep of Star Shoot
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Mark Casse swept the top three positions in Saturday’s $131,500 Star Shoot Stakes at Woodbine, with 7-2 outsider Beautiful Empire prevailing over the more-fancied Aubrieta and Diabolic.
Beautiful Empire got away slowly from post 1 and then trailed early as Miss Alacrity and Parlance dueled for the lead in the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies. Favored Diabolic was angled wide for the drive after a stalking trip and looked headed for victory, before Beautiful Empire closed inside to win by 1 1/2 lengths, in a posted final time of 1:08.70.
Aubrieta rallied wide from sixth on the turn to nail Diabolic on the wire for second. Howdyoumakeurmoney, Miss Alacrity and Parlance completed the order of finish.
Emma-Jayne Wilson rode Beautiful Empire, who was coming off an allowance triumph on opening day of the meet April 16.
“Mark messaged me and let me know to let her take a sit and come with a run - similar to her race last time,” Wilson said. “She broke slower than I was expecting, but there was a lot of pace in the race. I let her settle, let her get her legs, just be happy. I was actually angling to go to the outside, and the rail opened up. Good horses, when you ask them, they run, and that’s exactly what happened. She’s been running lights-out all winter. She was primed for a big effort, and she stepped up again today.”
A daughter of the Casse-trained champion 2-year-old Classic Empire, Beautiful Empire ($9.20) collected $75,000 for owner John Oxley.