Churchill Downs: Sweet Cassiopeia set up for confidence-building win in Friday feature

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – At this time last year, Sweet Cassiopeia was in the process of building a five-race win streak that established her as one of the more accomplished filly and mare turf sprinters in the eastern half of the United States.

But after winning the Giant’s Causeway Stakes as the favorite at Keeneland in April, a five-race losing streak ensued. Part of it was tough luck, part of it a matter of less-than-ideal spotting, and part of it just plain disappointment.

The unexpected drought might well end Friday at Churchill Downs, when Sweet Cassiopeia looms a solid favorite in a race that should be right in her wheelhouse: a $49,000, classified allowance to be run at five furlongs on the turf as the featured seventh of 10 races.

Sweet Cassiopeia is trained by Bill Connelly for Dan Considine and Steve Snowden, who bred the 5-year-old daughter of Five Star Day. Although not one to make flimsy excuses, Connelly, a trainer for 33 years, said the mare’s losing streak included a brutal trip in The Very One on Preakness eve at Pimlico, a runner-up finish in a Churchill turf race behind a winner (Good Deed) who earned a 110 Beyer Speed Figure, a failed attempt on the Calder main track in the Grade 1 Princess Rooney in July, and then narrow defeats this fall despite big runs in the Open Mind on the Churchill dirt and the Franklin County on the Keeneland turf.

The Friday feature, however, figures to be ready-made for Sweet Cassiopeia, as she comes favorably drawn in the outside post in a field of seven with Joe Rocco Jr. to ride.

“I’m pretty confident she’s about ready to put this string of losses behind her,” Connelly said.

If Sweet Cassiopeia is to somehow go down to a sixth straight defeat, the most likely reasons are Three Am Tour (post 3, Dylan Davis), Mosaicist (post 4, Julien Leparoux), or Bounding Bi (post 5, Corey Lanerie).

Of that trio, perhaps Mosaicist has the most upset potential. Based in northern Maryland with a string of horses trained by New York-based Jimmy Toner, the mare has specialized in just these types of races, winning a similarly conditioned allowance at Monmouth Park in August before finishing a decent fourth over a boggy grass course in the $200,000 Turf Amazon on Labor Day at Parx Racing.

Rounding out the feature lineup are Lion Down by Me, Tessie Flip, and Classy Zip.

The forecast for Friday calls for dry conditions and seasonable temperatures, meaning the two allowances carded on turf – the ninth race is the other – should be held as scheduled. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.