Danzig Moon will give Polytrack a try in Plate Trial Stakes
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Danzig Moon, a refugee from the American Triple Crown, will experiment on Woodbine’s Polytrack in Sunday’s $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes, a major prep for the $1 million Queen’s Plate here July 5.
Danzig Moon went from his maiden triumph at Gulfstream to running fourth in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, and then rebounded with a closing second in the Grade 1 Blue Grass.
Danzig Moon was a troubled fifth in the Kentucky Derby, finishing just 6 1/2 lengths behind American Pharoah, but he never fired in the deep slop in the Preakness.
“We scoped him after the Preakness, and the vet said he had half the racetrack in his throat,” trainer Mark Casse said.
Casse also entered Conquest Curlinate, Conquest Boogaloo, Field of Courage, and Battleofburlington in the 1 1/8-mile Trial.
The Trial and the $100,000 Alywow Stakes are the supporting features on a spectacular 11-race card for Woodbine Oaks Day.
KEY CONTENDERS
Danzig Moon (Last 3 Beyers: 74-95-90)
◗ The son of Malibu Moon has yet to compete on the Polytrack, over which he breezed five furlongs in a quick 1:00.20 last Sunday.
“He worked good,” Casse said. “It was good, not great. We’re still not positive how much he likes it, but that’s what we’re going to try to find out.”
Conquest Curlinate (Last 3 Beyers: 92-95-70)
◗ He has improved by leaps and bounds since graduating at Oaklawn. After a heartbreaking nose loss in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby, he closed for second in the Grade 2 Peter Pan at Belmont.
◗ He breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80 last Sunday over the Polytrack, on which he finished fifth in his debut at 2.
“He gets over it really well,” Casse said. “He’s got kind of a big, round action, and my thought has always been that he’d excel on the synthetic.”
Danish Dynaformer (Last 3 Beyers: 80-82-79)
◗ The turf expert showed that he could handle the Polytrack when he rallied for third in the Grade 3 Marine Stakes. The son of Dynaformer possesses ample stamina in his pedigree, and his trainer, Roger Attfield, has won the Trial eight times.
Billy’s Star (Last 3 Beyers: 73-43-55)
◗ He has been idle since his convincing maiden score May 8. He galloped out slightly better than stablemate Danish Dynaformer after they breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80 on June 4. They also breezed together on Wednesday, which was a half-mile move in a bullet 47.20 seconds.
“The [Wednesday] work went very nicely,” said Attfield. “I was a little backed up with them because they both got sick with the virus going around, but I’m very happy with the work, and everything checked out great afterwards, so we’re in good shape.”
Casse pair to try turf in Alywow
The Casse trainees Conquest Misbehave and Mississippi Delta will both try the grass for the first time in the 6 1/2-furlong Alywow for 3-year-old fillies.
The unbeaten Conquest Misbehave graduated last August on the Polytrack at Del Mar, but never saw action again until May 23, when she romped in an allowance here with an 83 Beyer Speed Figure.
Mississippi Delta has been sidelined since Nov. 22, when she captured the Glorious Song Stakes.
“She got sick, and it took us forever to get her back,” Casse said.