Casse sending Natalma top three to BC Juvenile Fillies Turf

The first three finishers of the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Woodbine last month – And One More Time, Vixen, and Nitrogen - are intended runners in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 1, trainer Mark Casse said earlier this week.

And One More Time stalked the pace in the Natalma Stakes at a mile on turf and won by a neck over Vixen, who closed from third. Nitrogen set the pace and was beaten three-quarters of a length.

All three of the fillies had their first start in a stakes race in the Natalma. They are expected to be part of a large group of fillies pre-entered in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf on Oct. 21. If the race draws more than 14 pre-entries, a committee of racing officials will determine the 14 runners, with the remaining fillies placed on an also-eligible list in order of preference.

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Casse won the 2015 BC Juvenile Fillies Turf with Catch a Glimpse, but was sixth the following year with La Coronel, who drew post 13 in a field of 14. My Conquestadory drew the outside of 14 in the 2014 running and finished fourth.

For this year’s running, Casse is hoping to avoid wide posts.

“In that race more than others, the post positions are extremely important,” he said earlier this week.

Casse was speaking from his farm in Ocala, Fla., where his staff and family were preparing the property and horses for Hurricane Milton’s landfall late Wednesday night or early Thursday.

Casse said there is heightened concern over potential damage since Milton is arriving from the west coast of Florida and not the typical pattern of hurricanes striking central Florida from the east or south where they have greater time over land to lose some potency.

“Where it comes in from now, it’s 30 miles,” Casse said. “This one worries me a little.”

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