Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf: Casse hopes Go With Gusto gets a slot
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Go With Gusto was cross-entered for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita earlier this week and is being pointed to the grass race, provided she can gain a berth.
Trainer Mark Casse said Thursday that the $1 million BC Juvenile Fillies Turf at a mile has greater appeal than the $2 million Juvenile Fillies at 1 1/16 miles on dirt with Go With Gusto. Both races will be run Nov. 3.
“I want to run her on the turf,” he said. “I know we put her in the dirt. It’s highly unlikely we’ll run” on dirt.
Go With Gusto is a maiden after two starts, with an asterisk. She finished first in a maiden race at a mile on turf on Aug. 13 at Woodbine, but was disqualified and placed fifth for causing interference. In the Grade 1 Summer Stakes at a mile on turf against males in September, Go With Gusto closed from eighth in a field of nine to finish third behind Carson’s Run, a candidate for the BC Juvenile Turf.
When pre-entries were announced Wednesday, Go With Gusto was granted a berth in the Juvenile Fillies field and was first alternate in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, needing one defection among the 14 invited runners to secure a position in the gate.
Entries will be taken Monday. Should there be no changes among the 14 invited runners over the weekend, Go With Gusto would be on the also-eligible list for the Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Casse said he is gambling that Go With Gusto gets in the Juvenile Fillies Turf field.
“She’s going to be on a plane with the hopes of running,” he said.
As of Thursday, Casse said he does not have a jockey for Go With Gusto, who races for Gary Barber.
“I’ll figure there will be a few good ones there,” Casse said. “That’s the least of my concerns.”
The absence of Go With Gusto from the Juvenile Fillies will allow Where’s My Ring to draw into the field. Where’s My Ring is the only runner on the also-eligible list.
Trained by Val Brinkerhoff, Where’s My Ring is a maiden after three starts. She finished second by a nose at Del Mar in August and third by a neck on Oct. 1 at Santa Anita in a maiden sprint. On Oct. 8, Where’s My Ring finished fourth in her stakes debut in the Grade 3 Surfer Girl Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita.
“I want to run on dirt,” Brinkerhoff said. “This filly has a shot. She’s so healthy and good right now.”
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