Casse cross-enters seven in Summer, Natalma; Appleby also well represented

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Charlie Appleby has a Godolphin runner for each of the Grade 1 2-year-old stakes on the Woodbine Mile undercard – Al Qudra in the Summer and the filly Mountain Breeze in the Natalma.

The $500,000 events are Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re in qualifiers. Appleby swept both one-mile turf routes in 2021 and has won each race twice for Godolphin.

Al Qudra is coming off an easy win July 27 at Ascot in the Pat Eddery Stakes, in which he defeated Summer rival New Century, who came right back to land a stakes. A son of No Nay Never, Al Qudra has worked three times over Saratoga’s turf training course leading up to this engagement.

Mountain Breeze made her career debut May 5, winning her first two starts at Newmarket before running competitively in three consecutive stakes, culminating with a rallying second in the Group 3 Sweet Solera.

William Buick has won on both Appleby runners and will ride them Saturday.

Leading Woodbine trainer Mark Casse entered eight of the 13 fillies in the Natalma and nine of the 17 runners in the Summer, which has three also-eligibles.

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Casse cross-entered Vixen, Winterberry, Thread, Ready to Battle, Latin Fever, Will Reign, and Nitrogen in both races.

Vixen graduated second time out when stretching from a sprint to a mile at Ellis Park.

“I think Vixen has a shot to be a star,” Casse said. “She had all kinds of trouble in her first race and came flying at the end. The filly who won came back to win a $1 million race at Kentucky Downs. I think Vixen was the best horse that day.”

Winterberry was scratched twice earlier in the meet before leading all the way to win her Aug. 24 debut in a Tapeta sprint by 5 1/2 lengths.

“She worked really well on the grass,” Casse pointed out.

Casse also is high on And One More Time, who was entered solely in the Natalma off a second-out maiden score in the mud at Saratoga where she beat three next-out winners. The daughter of Omaha Beach is a half-sister to turf stakes winners Simply in Front, Churchtown, and Honor D Lady.

“Her pedigree says turf,” Casse said. “Rafael Hernandez breezed her on the turf the other day.”

Casse predicted an improved performance could be forthcoming from Dream On, who should be prominent from the outset in the Summer. The son of Not This Time earned his diploma at second asking when switching to the turf, after which he finished second to Cairo Caper in the Soaring Free Stakes, the prep for the Summer.

“I think he’ll run a better race than the day when [Cairo Caper] beat him,” Casse said.

Cairo Caper is unbeaten in two starts on turf and should be a force to be reckoned with in the Summer. After winning the 6 1/2-furlong Soaring Free, the gelding ran down two stablemates in a five-furlong Tapeta work in 1:00.80 last Saturday.

Trainer Nathan Squires felt it was a great work for the son of Cairo Prince, who also is the sire of Cairo Consort, the 2022 Canadian champion 2-year-old filly that he sent out to run second in the Natalma and third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

“That work gave me a little more confidence,” Squires said of Cairo Caper. “I wanted him to do something, without overdoing it. After he won the Soaring Free, I gave him an easy week and then I got him back to his normal routine. He’s fit and ready. He’s not a big, heavy horse, so he doesn’t need a lot.

“I told [Jose Campos] to sit a few lengths behind and just let him cruise. He came up to them good and went by. It looked like he was doing it easily, and he came back good. I’ve seen a lot of improvement since he won the Soaring Free.”

Squires said Cairo Caper is a dream to work with and he’s anticipating another strong performance.

“He’s a replica of Cairo Consort,” Squires said. “He will improve as he gets older and as the distances get longer. He’s very uncomplicated and laid back, a little more than she is. I think a mile is not a problem. He settles well, he’s a push-button horse, and he’s smart. He knows where the quarter pole is. He just picks it up on his own and he goes. I’m confident that he’ll run well.”

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Trainer Kevin Attard entered the promising Dewolf in the Summer. The son of venerable Ontario sire Silent Name ran fourth to Cairo Caper when debuting in a key race before graduating with ease in restricted company. He is cross-entered in Sunday’s $100,000 Bull Page, a seven-furlong Ontario-sired turf stakes.

Coolcollected, another second-out maiden winner on the grass, was gelded by trainer Patrick Dixon after ending up third in the Soaring Free.

Annascaul should be among the favorites in the Natalma off her first-out score on the grass Aug. 14 at Saratoga for trainer Christophe Clement.

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