Casse duo could fly under the radar in Singspiel
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mark Casse could have a pair of sneaky-good runners – Swift Delivery and Tomasello – for Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Singspiel, the first 1 3/8-mile race run over Woodbine’s refurbished main turf in more than a year.
Victorious in the Grade 3 Seagram Cup last year on Tapeta, Swift Delivery switched to the inner turf most recently in his third start of the season in the 1 3/8-mile Niagara Stakes. After encountering some early traffic, he closed from ninth to end up third in what was arguably his best performance in eight grass starts.
Casse was looking forward to running Swift Delivery over the roomy main course, which encircles the main track.
“He might like that better,” Casse predicted.
Tomasello displayed solid grass form in Kentucky last year, highlighted by a victory in the Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby at Ellis Park. He went to the sidelines after coming up empty in the Grade 3 Nashville Derby in late August at Kentucky Downs.
Tomasello was victorious off a six-month break in a Feb. 28 handicap over Gulfstream’s Tapeta. Following another layoff, he chased the pace before fading to eighth in the 1 1/16-mile Soldier’s Dancer Handicap on July 4 at Gulfstream. He reacquires Lasix on Saturday.
“He’s a pretty good horse,” Casse said. “He didn’t run any good last time, but he’s better than what it looks, and he’s training really well.”
The consistent but win-shy Dancin in Da’nile should be among the favorites and is best used underneath in the exotic wagers.
Trained by Gail Cox, Dancin in Da’Nile finished third in the 2025 Singspiel after ending up second in the Niagara going 1 1/4 miles on the main turf. This year, the 7-year-old finished second and third to North America’s leading turf runner, Burnham Square, in back-to-back stakes at Churchill in the spring. He went back on Lasix for this year’s Niagara on Aug. 8, finishing a non-threatening fifth.
Trainer Rachel Halden entered English Actor and Side Street for Chiefswood Stables, which also is sending out Coburg with trainer Sean Smullen.
English Actor set moderate fractions in the Niagara before coasting home on top by 1 3/4 lengths with a 93 Beyer Speed Figure.
“He ended up getting a comfortable lead, got left alone, and that’s how he seems to build confidence,” Halden said. “It was just one of those races where everything worked out well for him.”
Side Street rallied for second in the Niagara, finishing a length in front of Swift Delivery in his first race after beating conditioned allowance opponents June 21.
“I think this horse might prefer the” main turf, Halden said. “With his closing style, he’s going to have the long stretch to do that this time around.”
Mesero ships in from Kentucky following a freshening, which began after he finished a lapped-on second in the June 27 Texas Turf Classic at Lone Star. The 4-year-old is trained by Dale Romans, who is 0 for 7 lifetime at Woodbine.
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