Casse's unbeaten pair try two turns in Grey, Mazarine stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mark Casse has an unbeaten stakes winner who’s stretching out to 1 1/16 miles in both $125,000 2-year-old stakes Sunday at Woodbine – Souper Sensational in the Grade 3 Mazarine and Helium in the Grade 3 Grey.

Souper Sensational figures to be a short price in the Mazarine for fillies. After graduating at first asking, she won the seven-furlong Glorious Song Stakes easily with an 87 Beyer Speed Figure. Casse said discussions with owner Charlotte Weber led to running her in the Mazarine rather than in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland.

“We talked about it, and there would have been a lot of questions taking her to the Breeders’ Cup,” Casse explained. “We’d rather just ask one question at a time. Can she get two turns? If we went to the Breeders’ Cup, we’d ask her if she could go two turns and run on the dirt. This way, we ask only one question. I don’t see any reason why she wouldn’t [go long], but I never believe it until I see it.”

Designer Ready is well regarded by trainer Barbara Minshall and has the look of a prime contender in the Mazarine. She closed from 10 lengths back to win her debut in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special on the grass Oct. 3. Minshall said the Tapit filly likes the Tapeta.

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“She’s trained really well on it,” Minshall said. “At this stage, I think you could probably put her on any surface and she would run a good race. I put her on the turf because the family liked turf. She’s light on her feet, and I thought she’d move well on it.”

Grey Stakes

Helium is exiting a 4 1/4-length score in the seven-furlong Display Stakes. He got a 76 Beyer going seven furlongs when he won his debut on Sept. 27 here.

“He was a little bit of a surprise,” Casse said. “He hadn’t trained like she had. He’s a great-moving horse.”

Trainer Kevin Attard sends out the Al and Bill Ulwelling-owned runners Stephen and Haddassah in the Grey. They breezed five-eighths together in 1:01 last Sunday.

After a fast-closing second to Tio Magico in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special Oct. 4, Stephen won the $250,000 Coronation Futurity over Tio Magico, earning a 75 Beyer in the 1 1/8-mile stakes for Canadian-breds.

“Stephen has a nice turn of foot, he relaxes well, and he knows where the wire is,” Attard said.

Haddassah got a 79 Beyer for earning his diploma when debuting in a mile and 70-yard maiden special in the race before Stephen’s Coronation on Nov. 1.

“We were really high on him,” Attard said. “He had trained really well for a long time. It was nice to see him show up.”