Casse emotional after first Queen’s Plate win with Lexie Lou

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mark Casse won his first Queen’s Plate when Lexie Lou became the sixth filly to record the Woodbine Oaks-Queen’s Plate double at Woodbine on Sunday.

Emotions overwhelmed Casse, a six-time Sovereign Award winner, and his family following the race.

“It’ll probably sink in a little more later on,” he said. “It was very emotional. My son Colby just started crying afterwards, and to see it mean that much to him, it got me crying.”

Casse won his first Queen’s Plate in his eighth attempt on Sunday. He’s started multiple horses in seven of his eight Queen’s Plates, with Marchfield being his lone entry in 2007.

Jockey Patrick Husbands captured his second Queen’s Plate aboard Lexie Lou. His first Plate win came in 2003 with Wando, who went on to win the Canadian Triple Crown.

“I went into this race very confident with this filly,” he said. “She was relaxed and she was rolling.”

The Queen’s Plate was just Lexie’s Lou’s third start for Casse and owner Gary Barber, who also won his first Queen’s Plate as an owner. She was purchased privately after she ran fourth behind Barber’s filly Zensational Bunny in the Star Shoot Stakes on April 19.

Her turf pedigree and that Lexie Lou is Ontario-sired were key factors that led to Casse and Barber’s interest in buying Lexie Lou from trainer John Ross. A deal was quickly completed, and Lexie Lou made her first start for Casse in the Fury Stakes on May 10, which served as her final prep ahead of her triumphant score in the Woodbine Oaks.

“John did a wonderful job with her,” Casse said. “She came to us in great shape, and we couldn’t have done it without him. We were just in the right place at the right time and got lucky. I’m sure in his heart it was hurting him a little bit, but after she won the Oaks, he was the first one that called me.”

Lexie Lou, a $5,500 yearling purchase by Ross at the 2012 CTHS Canadian-bred yearling sale, won at first asking in May 2013 and won her first stakes through disqualification in the Muskoka Stakes last August. She also recorded a front-running score in the South Ocean Stakes last November.

Lexie Lou earned $600,000 in the Queen’s Plate, and has career earnings of $1,249,250. She was bred in Ontario by Paradox Farm.

Casse was noncommittal about running Lexie Lou on dirt in the second jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie on July 29. If Lexie Lou were to skip the Prince of Wales, Casse said she could wind up with his string at Del Mar later this summer.

“It’ll be her third race in a short time, and it’s a surface she’s never been over,” he said. “We’ll see. We could go there. Gary’s from California and they have synthetic out there. It wouldn’t shock me if she ends up in California.”

◗ Trainer Malcolm Pierce sent out three horses during the Queen’s Plate undercard and recorded two wins and a second.

Overheard edged out stablemate Deceptive Vision in a tight photo finish in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly Stakes, while Aldous Snow held off Perfect Timber in the final strides to win the Grade 3 Singspiel Stakes.

Pierce has now won 13 of his 39 starts at Woodbine this season, four of which have come in stakes races. Pierce sits second among trainers in Woodbine stakes wins this year, trailing Mark Casse, who has won 10 after his Queen’s Plate win.

“It’s been a great year,” Pierce said. “It’s not me, it’s a team effort, and it all starts with the owners supplying the horses.”

◗ All-sources handle for Sunday’s Queen’s Plate card was $9,079,561, which was down 7 percent when compared with last year’s record-setting Queen’s Plate card. A total of $9,739,879 was wagered over 12 races on Queen’s Plate Day in 2013.

Total wagering on the Queen’s Plate was $3,074,412, including $653,423 on the Jackpot Hi-5 wager, which had a mandatory payout and began the day with a carryover of $262,596.12. The winning Jackpot Hi-5 combination paid $4,270.70 on a 20-cent wager.