Casse hopes return home helps Mrs. Barbara regain championship form

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Reigning Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Mrs. Barbara returns to Woodbine in Saturday’s $100,000 Ruling Angel, a seven-furlong overnight stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Owned by Woodbine Entertainment CEO Jim Lawson’s Spruce Stable, Mrs. Barbara did the bulk of her damage going long last year. She was fourth in the Grade 1 Natalma on the grass in September and then won a 1 1/16-mile maiden special with an explosive late kick on the Tapeta before doubling up in the Grade 3 Mazarine in late November.

Mrs. Barbara finished fourth in her March 13 season opener in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks on the Tampa Bay Downs turf. Normally a closer, she stalked the pace before fading to fifth most recently in the 1 1/16-mile Bourbonette Oaks over Turfway’s Tapeta.

Trainer Mark Casse said he was puzzled by Mrs. Barbara’s subpar last race and some of the other results at Turfway.

“I thought the entire day the form was strange,” Casse said. “It was just a weird day. We had a lot of success at Turfway last year, but I found that we had no idea how we were gonna run this year at any point in time. She definitely didn’t put her best foot forward. She’s been training extremely well. I think you’ll see the real Mrs. Barbara.”

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Rafael Hernandez will ride Mrs. Barbara, who’s competing on Lasix for the first time.

Casse also entered Join the Dance and Summertime Magic to make it a six-horse field.

Join the Dance was a front-running second in Mrs. Barbara’s maiden win before earning her diploma around two turns Nov. 28. After getting the winter off, she led throughout a 6 1/2-furlong allowance while favored here April 23, earning her second straight 74 Beyer Speed Figure.

“They bet her down pretty good in her first start of the year,” Casse said. “It was against older horses, and it wasn’t really what I wanted to do. She wants more ground, so I was pleased with her performance. I thought she had a few things against her, but she ran very well.”

Summertime Magic graduated in her April 17 debut here in a five-furlong maiden special, coming wide from third to prevail by two lengths with a 68 Beyer.

Casse said Summertime Magic wasn’t guaranteed to start on Saturday if she drew inside, and she got post 4.

“She can be a little bit tough in the starting gate,” Casse said.

Rounding out the lineup are Outfoxed, Guileful, and Urban.

Belmont Park-based Outfoxed has made all six of her starts on dirt, including a victory in the seven-furlong Gasparilla Stakes at Tampa Jan. 15. Trainer Bill Mott is adding blinkers to her equipment.