Casse piling up candidates for Juvenile Fillies

The West regional to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies was won last week by the race’s pro-tem favorite, Bast, and this weekend finalists will emerge from races in Kentucky and New York, with top contenders set to go in the Alcibiades on Friday at Keeneland and the Frizette on Sunday at Belmont Park.

Both the Alcibiades and the Frizette are Win and You’re In races toward the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, to be held Nov. 1 at Santa Anita. The major difference in the two races this weekend relates to the configuration of the two tracks at which they are run. The Alcibiades is a two-turn, 1 1/16-mile race, while the Frizette is a one-turn mile, and that is among the reasons trainer Mark Casse has sent Spinaway winner Perfect Alibi from New York to the Alcibiades.

“That’s why she’s there. I think it’s huge. Two turns is definitely a different world,” Casse said. “I think she’ll really enjoy stretching out. She has the ability to rate, and she’s a big filly.”

Casse will double up in the Alcibiades with Western Taffy, who will be trying dirt for the first time after races on all-weather and turf at Woodbine. Western Taffy is by Candy Ride out of a Gone West mare, so distance and surface should suit.

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“She had a good dirt work on the dirt training track at Woodbine, and she’s trained really well on the dirt at Churchill Downs,” Casse said.

Casse already has one filly headed to the Juvenile Fillies in Two Sixty, who Saturday at Gulfstream Park won the My Dear Girl division of the Florida Sire Series in her first start going two turns. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 80, just one point shy of what Bast got for her win last Friday at Santa Anita in the Chandelier.

“Her Beyer puts her right there,” Casse said.

“We’ve always liked her a lot. She’s just had some crappy luck,” he said, referencing her prior start, in which she lost jockey Edgard Zayas leaving the gate.

Casse trains Two Sixty for Gary Barber.

“Gary and I, we’re not afraid to run,” Casse said. “She’s had her two-turn race.”

The Alcibiades drew a field of 11, including Alandra and British Idiom, both winners of their lone starts in sprints at Saratoga. An intriguing candidate is Gone Glimmering, who overcame significant trouble to remain unbeaten when winning her second start last time out at Indiana Grand.

“She ran a wild race,” said her trainer, Tom Amoss.

The Frizette is expected to include Daphne Moon and Wicked Whisper, both of whom won their lone starts against maidens at Saratoga. Quality Response, unbeaten in two starts and winner of the minor Phone Chatter at Los Alamitos last time out, brings some regional rivalry into the Frizette by shipping in for Bob Baffert, who also trains Bast.