Casse notches ninth Natalma with Voyager; Heavy Pour takes Vigil
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Mark Casse won the Grade 1 Natalma for a record ninth time on Saturday at Woodbine with Voyager, who punched her ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland in the BC Win and You’re in qualifier.
Voyager raced in sixth on the backstretch as the favored Lamirada set quick fractions in the one-mile main turf route, with Cattrall and Embouteillage in close proximity.
Javier Castellano asked Voyager to pick it up midway on the turn and she closed outside to hit the front early in the stretch, en route to 1 1/4-length score over De la Renta.
Maryland shipper Embouteillage, the 3-1 second choice, finished another head back in third, a head in front of Bounce Back. Runaway Bride, Royal Foxtrot, Lamirada, Mo Cookie, Ez Miss Sassy, Cattrall, and Nicki Knows Best completed the order of finish.
The final time was 1:35.06 over firm ground.
Voyager was the fastest of five Casse-trained fillies in the $504,500 contest.
“(Casse) told me to ride her with a lot of confidence,” Castellano said. “She’s a great filly. It was very impressive the way she did it today - very professional, behind the speed. It seemed to me a little fast pace, and she was covered up. I kept track of the pacemaker horses. Turning for home, I put her in daylight and she took off and finished really well.”
Assistant trainer Kathryn Sutherland said Voyager ran to the barn’s expectations.
“She’s done nothing wrong so far for us,” Sullivan said. “She’s very impressive. We’re excited for the next race.”
Voyager returned $9.50 as the third betting choice. The daughter of Justify banked $300,000 in her first start after breaking her maiden on the grass at Saratoga.
*** Shortly after the Natalma, the Presque Isle-based Heavy Pour ($29.30) wired the field in the Grade 3, $184,800 Vigil.
In his first start off a $40,000 reclaim by trainer Tim Girten, Heavy Pour covered the seven furlongs in 1:22.06 under Gaddiel Martinez.
Mansetti, the 2025 King’s Plate victor, rallied strongly from far back for second and Wagstaff checked in third in the eight-horse field of older runners.
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