Casse has two good chances in Woodbine allowance

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Leading trainer Mark Casse appears to be holding a strong hand in Friday’s seventh race at Woodbine when he sends out Cardio Princess and Into Touring in the six-furlong main turf sprint, a nonwinners-of-two lifetime allowance with a claiming option of $50,000 for 3-year-olds.

Cardio Princess won her debut here last August in a five-furlong maiden special on the inner turf. One couldn’t blame Casse for trying her in the Grade 1 Natalma in September, but she trailed a 10-horse field after setting an honest pace going a mile, a distance that proved to be well beyond her range.

Cardio Princess finished seventh in each of her first two starts this year, including a stakes at Gulfstream. She got back on the beam with a head loss in a five-furlong inner-turf dash here June 18, after which she finished a troubled second going six furlongs on the main turf.

Justin Stein retains the mount on Cardio Princess, a Japanese-bred daughter of Heart’s Cry owned by Gary Barber.

Into Touring bypassed the Woodbine Oaks after ending up fifth in her June 11 season opener in the seven-furlong Fury Stakes, which was won by the future Oaks winner Moira. She’s exiting her best performance, a third-place finish in a first-level allowance.

Leading rider Kazushi Kimura has the call on Into Touring, a Tourist filly owned by Barber. Kimura and Casse are a combined 14 for 54 at the meet.

Speightstown Shirl figures to be a major player in her seasonal bow. She had a productive 2021 campaign that included a hard-fought score in a one-mile maiden special in June.

Speightstown Shirl finished a commendable third behind the talented twosome of Our Flash Drive and Seasons in August, but then went to the sidelines after a lackluster performance as the favorite in a Sept. 18 allowance.

Speightstown Shirl is a full sister to late-bloomer Shirl’s Speight, who captured the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland in April. Both are owned by Charles Fipke and trained by Roger Attfield, who has solid numbers with six-month-plus layoff runners since the beginning of 2021.

Emma-Jayne Wilson will ride Speightstown Shirl. Wilson won last Saturday’s Grade 3 Trillium on Lady Speightspeare for Fipke and Attfield.

Calle Ocho faded to fourth behind Into Touring when competing on the grass for the first time July 16. By the low-percentage turf sire Frosted, Calle Ocho earned her highest Beyer Speed Figures in her first two starts on the Tapeta.

No More Diamonds beat maiden-special opposition at 28-1 in her much-improved third race on the Tapeta on July 2. The daughter of good turf sire More Than Ready is bred for the dirt in her immediate family, but her third dam is Grade 1 turf stakes winner Tout Charmant.

Rounding out the seventh-race field is longshot Quinte Road.