Casse eager to see how Inthewinnerscircle and Mademoiselle Nova handle Tapeta in Cellars Shiraz Stakes

It is not surprising trainer Mark Casse is a fan of racing on synthetic surfaces. After all, the past five years he has won 363 races on synthetic.

Most of the wins came on Tapeta at Woodbine where the Hall of Fame trainer is home and cooled out in the race for leading trainer at the current meet with 92 wins compared to 44 for Kevin Attard, who is second in the standings.

Casse likes the way the recently installed Tapeta track is settling at Gulfstream Park, where Friday he has Inthewinnerscircle and Mademoiselle Nova entered in the $65,000 Cellars Shiraz. The mile and 70-yard race on Tapeta drew 12 3-year-old fillies and goes as race 8 on a 10-race program that begins at 12:30 p.m. Eastern.

“I heard it was slow at first,” Casse said from Del Mar where he is hoping for a successful Breeders’ Cup. “But I told people that was similar to Woodbine when they first installed the track and that it would tighten up. It has, it looks good, and I like it. On good days, dirt and Tapeta are equal, but when it rains, Tapeta is a lot better.”

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Casse has won seven races from 21 starters for a 33 percent strike rate on the Gulfstream Tapeta. His $2.95 return on investment is strong as well.

He is hoping for more of the same with Intothewinnercircle and Mademoiselle Nova, who both will be racing over a synthetic surface for the first time in the Cellars Shiraz.

“They both trained over Tapeta at Woodbine, so I think they will run well,” Casse said. “We have been looking for a race for 3-year-olds and were happy to find this. It came up a lot tougher than we expected, though.”

Casse said he was hoping to get some black type for Mademoiselle Nova, who is coming off back-to-back wins going 7 1/2 furlongs on turf at Woodbine, the latest coming in a first-level allowance race on Aug. 22.

She will break from post 7 with Edwin Gonzalez up.

Inthewinnerscircle will appreciate the easier company after finishing fourth in the $480,400 Dueling Grounds Oaks on Sept. 9 at Kentucky Downs. The winner, Adventuring, finished third in the Grade 3 Valley View at Keeneland in her next start.

A daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, Inthewinnerscircle won the $60,000 Juvenile Fillies Turf for Florida-breds at Gulfstream Park West last year in her second start. She went into the Dueling Grounds Oaks off a win in a first-level allowance race gong 1 1/16 miles on turf on July 23 at Woodbine.

The main threats to the Casse pair are the Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Tik Tok Famous and Champagne Ivy, who will both be running over a synthetic surface for the first time.

Tik Tok Famous was coming off a layoff when she finished second going about 7 1/2 furlongs on turf in the $75,000 Miss Gracie on Sept. 4 at Gulfstream. She figures to be in the mix early.

Champagne Ivy came from a stalking position to finish a head behind Tik Tok Famous in the Miss Gracie.

Can’t Buy Me Love won the $125,000 Star Shoot going six furlongs on Tapeta at Woodbine earlier this year. Trained by Michael Trombetta, she could be dangerous making the surface switch after finishing fifth going six furlongs on turf at Belmont in the $100,000 Christiecat on Sept. 17.