Casse has three for the Woodbine Oaks

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The $500,000 Woodbine Oaks is June 8, and the field is beginning to take shape following the final local preps. Trainer Mark Casse has won the Oaks three times, most recently with Lexie Lou in 2014, and will send out a trio of horses in this year’s edition.

Among the Casse contingent being pointed to the Oaks is Fury Stakes winner Speedy Soul and runner-up Hastalavistababy. Casse will also is pointing Grade 3 Selene Stakes runner-up Preferred Guest to the Oaks.

Speedy Soul won the Fury in her second start for Casse after being trained by Andrew Smith last season. As a 2-year-old, Speedy Soul won both of her starts, breaking her maiden Aug. 10 prior to a four-length victory in the Muskoka Stakes on Aug. 29. She did not race again until she made her debut for Casse in the Star Shoot Stakes here on April 21, finishing sixth. Speedy Soul added blinkers for the Fury Stakes, and managed to hold off a closing Hastalavistababy for a three-quarter-length victory.

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It was the second straight runner-up finish in a stakes for Hastalavistababy, who was also second to Artilena in the Ontario Lassie Stakes last December. Three starts back, Hastalavistababy broke her maiden by 6 1/4 lengths over a mile on the grass.

Preferred Guest finished second to Speedy Soul in the Muskoka Stakes last August while making her career debut, and scored her maiden win in the South Ocean Stakes last November. Prior to her runner-up finish in the Selene, she had run in allowance events at Gulfstream Park and Woodbine.