Casse has confidence in his Raven Run duo
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Mark Casse isn’t promising anything on the level of Shamrock Rose, but the Hall of Fame trainer does have an optimistic eye toward the impending renewal of the Raven Run at Keeneland.
“I think we’ve got a couple of pretty good shots,” said Casse, who will send out Miss Speedy and Souper Sensational among the 10 or so 3-year-old fillies expected Saturday for the Grade 2, $250,000 Raven Run at Keeneland.
It was three years ago that the Casse-trained Shamrock Rose not only won the Raven Run at 18-1, but also the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint just two weeks later at Churchill Downs at 25-1. In her race before the Raven Run, Shamrock Rose was an easy winner over the Woodbine synthetic.
Miss Speedy is an Ontario-bred who has gone 3 for 4 since her racing career began in July, with all of her starts coming over the Woodbine synthetic. Her form was flattered last weekend, when the filly she defeated in her most recent start Sept. 25, Aug Lutes, came back to win the Glen Cove at Belmont Park.
“Miss Speedy is in a similar situation as Shamrock Rose,” Casse noted. “Hopefully, we’ll get the same type of results.”
In any case, Souper Sensational, as the winner of the Grade 3 Victory Ride at Belmont Park and runner-up behind Bella Sofia in the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga, most likely will be the more well regarded of the uncoupled Casse pair in the seven-furlong Raven Run. The daughter of Curlin was beaten just a half-length when second behind another Raven Run starter, Cilla, as the odds-on favorite in her most recent start, the Grade 2 Prioress on Sept. 4 at Saratoga.
Cilla was a 10-1 winner of the Prioress with New York-based Charlton Baker listed as trainer in a one-time-only case. The Louisiana-bred filly has since returned to Delaware Park in the care of Brett Brinkman, in whose name she will run Saturday.
Somewhat conspicuous by her absence from the Raven Run nominations list was Carribean Caper, whose six-length victory in the Dogwood on Sept. 25 at Churchill kept her unbeaten in five career starts. Trainer Al Stall Jr. said the Speightstown filly goes next in either the Dream Supreme on Nov. 13 or Chilukki on Nov. 20, both at Churchill.
Entries for the Raven Run will be drawn Wednesday. The stakes will be accompanied on a 10-race Saturday card by its companion race for 3-year-old males, the revived Perryville Stakes at seven furlongs. The fourth and last stakes of the week comes Sunday with the Grade 3 Dowager for filly and mare turf marathoners.
Two Emmys makes return
A field of 12 older horses is set for the first stakes here this week, the Grade 3, $150,000 Sycamore going 1 1/2 miles on Friday on the Keeneland turf.
Two Emmys, a 27-1 winner of the Grade 1 Mr. D. (formerly the Arlington Million), will be making his first start since that Aug. 14 upset, breaking from the far outside post in the three-turn Sycamore under James Graham.
This is the field for the Sycamore: Glynn County, Ajourneytofreedom, Hierarchy, Ry’s the Guy, Yamato, Spooky Channel, Sole Volante, Breakpoint, Bama Breeze, Another Mystery, Kentucky Ghost, and Two Emmys.