Casse sending Wonder Gadot to Woodbine; turf start likely

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Following her sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap on April 14 at Oaklawn Park, 2018 Canadian Horse of the Year Wonder Gadot will be making her way to Woodbine, trainer Mark Casse said.

“I want to get her back winning,” he said. “We tried something in the last race, and it didn’t work. We put her on the lead, and I don’t think that’s really what she wants to do. She’s coming home to regroup.”

Casse said he didn’t have a specific race in mind for Wonder Gadot at this point, but would look at running her on the turf. A potential target could be the first turf stakes of the meet, the Grade 2, $175,000 Nassau Stakes at one mile on May 26. Following that event, the next turf stakes for fillies and mares at Woodbine is the Grade 2, $175,000 Dance Smartly Stakes over 1 1/4 miles on the Queen’s Plate undercard June 29.

Wonder Gadot won her debut on turf at Woodbine in the allowance prep for the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes in August 2017. She subsequently ran third in the Natalma in her next start, but has not raced on turf since. She made three starts in Canada last season, running second to Dixie Moon in the Woodbine Oaks before defeating males to win the first two legs of the Canadian Triple Crown – the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine and the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie. In addition to Canadian Horse of the Year honors, Wonder Gadot also was named Canada’s champion 3-year-old filly at the Sovereign Awards on April 18.