Casse sends out classy comebackers in Star Shoot Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mark Casse has been pointing Diabolic and Aubrieta to Saturday’s $125,000 Star Shoot Stakes at Woodbine, and they should be among the favorites in the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies.

Diabolic, an Irish-bred owned by D. J.Stable and Nexus Racing Club, was a finalist for 2021 Canadian champion 2-year-old filly.

Diabolic notched her debut on turf at the 2021 Gulfstream Park spring meet before doubling up in the July 31 My Dear Stakes here on the Tapeta. The closer remained unbeaten when taking the 6 1/2-furlong Catch a Glimpse Stakes on the grass with a 78 Beyer Speed Figure in August. She has been out of action since ending up fifth behind Wild Beauty and subsequent Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winer Pizza Bianca in the Grade 1 Natalma in September.

Diabolic has worked twice of late here on the Tapeta, including a half-mile from the gate in 47.20 on April 20.

“She’s doing very good,” Casse said. “I thought about running her in a stakes at Keeneland, but we decided to get her back [to Woodbine] and get her going here.”

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Aubrieta, an Ontario-bred by the late Speightster, annexed two of three sprints on the Tapeta last year, including the seven-furlong Glorious Song Stakes with an 80 Beyer. She came up empty going long in the Grade 3 Mazarine on Nov. 28, after which she went to the sidelines.

Aubrieta has worked four times here on the Tapeta since shipping in from Casse’s Florida training center in Ocala.

“She’s doing well,” said Casse, who won the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint with Shamrock Rose for Aubrieta’s owners, Manfred and Penny Conrad.

Casse’s third entrant is Beautiful Empire, who graduated easily here April 16 after closing strongly from off a lively pace. She earned a 69 Beyer in that five-furlong dash, which was her first start since a distant third in the Feb. 12 Valdale Stakes at Turfway Park.

Antonio Gallardo retains the mount on Diabolic, as does Patrick Husbands on Aubrieta. Emma-Jayne Wilson inherits the mount from Husbands on Beautiful Empire.

Howdyoumakeurmoney got buried in her March 5 season opener in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride on the turf at Gulfstream. The New York-bred is exiting a third in the Serena’s Song Stakes at Turfway. She’s based at the Fair Hill training center in Maryland with trainer Mike Trombetta, who sent out Arzak to take the Thorncliffe Stakes here April 17.

Miss Alacrity has been idle since an eighth-place finish in the Key Cents Stakes Nov. 21 at Aqueduct. Kazushi Kimura rides her for trainer Wesley Ward. The pair are 3 for 5 together to start this meet.

Completing the field is Parlance, who is coming off an allowance score at Oaklawn Park on dirt, the surface over which she made all five of her starts.