Casse takes four shots in Grade 1 Natalma
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The 2015 Natalma Stakes was the coming-out party for the Mark Casse-trained Catch a Glimpse, who subsequently won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and Canadian Horse of the Year honors.
Partially because of Catch a Glimpse’s accomplishments, the $250,000 Natalma has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1 status this year while remaining a Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In event.
Casse, who has won the Natalma a record six times, entered four in the one-mile turf route at Woodbine: Black Canary, Enstone, Victory to Victory, and Thora Barber.
Black Canary graduated at first asking Sept. 2 in a maiden special weight turf sprint at Saratoga.
“It was really good,” said assistant trainer Norm Casse. “She got kind of a low number, but if you watch the head-on, her and the filly who ran second were bumping the whole time, which affected the finish of the race.”
The talented maiden Enstone was beaten in a photo in each of her last two outings, most recently in a maiden special weight route at Saratoga on July 24.
The Grade 2 Summer Stakes, a Win and You’re In qualifier for the BC Juvenile Turf, is the supporting feature on Sunday’s excellent card.
Natalma, Race 8
KEY CONTENDERS
Black Canary, by War Front
Beyer: 67
◗ The nicely bred bay cost $425,000 at a sale of 2-year-olds in Ocala, Fla.
“We really like her,” said Norm Casse. “What she’s doing is going to be tough. She’s running back in two weeks. We really like stretching her out from 5 1/2 [furlongs] to a one-turn mile. It’s a little more ideal than going a mile and a sixteenth at Keeneland.”
Enstone, by Tiznow
Last 3 Beyers: 73-50-34
◗ She worked five-eighths with champion Tepin in 1:00.20 on turf at Saratoga on Sept. 5.
“We’re really high on her,” Casse said. “She worked really well with Tepin, so we decided not to wait for a maiden race and run her in the Natalma.”
Victory to Victory, by Exchange Rate
Beyers: 69-57
◗ After ending up fifth in her debut at Saratoga, she rallied wide from off slow fractions to finish second in the allowance prep for the Natalma.
“We were a little disappointed with her first start,” Casse said. “We thought she was well meant and ready to go. I think she got bothered a little early. She came back and ran a really good race. She should be sitting on a big one on Sunday.”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 13 Victory to Victory. Maiden tries a turf route for the first time. Her dam was 14-5-2-1 in turf routes, including a win in the 2009 Grade 2 Dance Smartly Stakes at Woodbine. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Tapa Tapa Tapa, by Tapit
Last 3 Beyers: 70-70-65
◗ The Presque Isle-based runner won the prep after pressing a slow pace in her first start with Lasix.
Beat the Benchmark, by Speightstown
Beyer: 76
◗ She notched her 5 1/2-furlong debut at Saratoga. Jose Ortiz will ride her again for trainer Chad Brown.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 8 Beat the Benchmark. Trainer Chad Brown is 31-3-4-5 with a $0.64 ROI over the past five years with juveniles in graded stakes outside of New York. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Red Lodge, by Midshipman
Beyers: 75-72
◗ The Wesley Ward-trained filly led all the way in her last outing in the 5 1/2-furlong Colleen Stakes at Monmouth.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Red Lodge. Trainer Wesley Ward is 16-0-2-2 over the past five years in graded stakes going sprint to route with horses that finished in the money in their previous start. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Thora Barber. Trainer Mark Casse is 16-6-2-2 with a $2.75 ROI over the past five years with jockey Patrick Husbands aboard juveniles in graded stakes at Woodbine. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
