Casse running capable backup in Hendrie Stakes
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The absence of Woodbine’s leading sprinter, Our Flash Drive, who’s in the Grade 3 Caress at Saratoga, has left Saturday’s $150,000 Hendrie Stakes more competitive than initially anticipated.
Our Flash Drive’s trainer, Mark Casse, went to his deep bench and entered Miss Speedy, who should be among the favorites in the 6 1/2-furlong event for fillies and mares.
Miss Speedy is coming off a dominant victory in the Ballade Stakes for Ontario-sired females. After tracking pacesetter Ol’ Blondie through honest fractions in the six-furlong event, she prevailed by 2 3/4 lengths under Sahin Civaci, who also rode her when she ran second in the Grade 3 Whimsical in May.
“She’s an easy horse to ride,” Civaci said. “You can sit off it with her. You can take her to the lead. She’s an honest horse who tries really hard.”
Among the seven other entrants in the Grade 3 Hendrie are last year’s Canadian champion female sprinter Hazelbrook and the consistent Loyalty.
Hazelbrook is making her season debut off a series of slow works for trainer Lorne Richards. She won four of six starts in 2022, including the Hendrie and the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion, all under jockey Jason Hoyte.
“She has had issues with her digestive system for a while, so that’s something we’ve had to monitor closely,” Richards said. “The clinic in Guelph told me it’s kind of like colitis. It’s something where you have to take it day by day, but there’s no denying she has plenty of talent. She can be high-strung, but I’m not going to complain. She shows up every time.”
Loyalty parlayed a stalking trip into an easy win in her June 25 seasonal bow in a conditioned allowance with an $80,000 claiming option. Among her four wins last year were victories over 3-year-old fillies in the Duchess Stakes and the Lake Erie Stakes at Presque Isle Downs.
Ontario Colleen
Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Ontario Colleen Stakes lured a field of nine 3-year-old fillies to go a mile on the main turf, including shippers Love to Shop, Mohawk Trail, Preliminary, Queen Picasso, and Violet Gibson.
Love to Shop was transferred from trainer Todd Pletcher to Kevin Attard after graduating in a six-furlong maiden special at Belmont Park on June 10. Attard is also sending out Last Call, last year’s Grade 1 Natalma winner.
Mohawk Trail came from Churchill Downs to take the 6 1/2-furlong Alywow Stakes while leaving Last Call back in third here June 25. She was previously competitive over middle distances for trainer Kelsey Danner.
The Chad Brown-trained Preliminary notched her March 16 opener at Gulfstream. Park The English import has been idle since a wide 11th-place finish in the Grade 2 Edgewood on May 5 at Churchill.
Queen Picasso is unbeaten in two starts for trainer Christophe Clement, a March 5 maiden triumph at Gulfstream and a daylight score over seven furlongs in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly on May 27 at Belmont.
Violent Gibson, who was stakes-placed at Gulfstream, is one of two Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained entrants, along with Star Shoot Stakes runner-up Blind Spot, who’s unplaced on turf.
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