Effortlesslyelgant likely to improve second off layoff

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Effortlesslyelgant appears to be sitting on a nice move forward Thursday, when she makes her second start of the season in the $145,000 Majestic overnight stakes at Oaklawn Park.

The six-furlong race drew 11 fillies and mares, including Gray Lightning, a new face to the market after running third in last year’s Jersey Girl at Saratoga. Stakes-placed Itzel and Absinthe will also get good support as both have won at the distance this meet, while Popperina owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure, an 82.

Effortlesslyelgant made her first start since June in a March 9 allowance at Oaklawn and finished a solid fourth going six furlongs in a race that went in a quick 1:10.60 over a good track.

The winner, Taxed, is cross-entered in the La Troienne and Derby City Distaff this weekend at Churchill Downs. She won the Oaklawn race over fellow stakes winners Holly Dolly and American Band. Effortlesslyelgant was beaten two lengths and earned a Beyer of 79.

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“I thought it was very encouraging,” trainer Norm Casse said of Effortlesslyelgant’s performance. “It just took us all winter to really get her where we wanted, where she seems to be back within herself and really enjoying what she’s doing.

“I thought her first race back off the layoff was really good. She kind of opened up off a pretty hot pace and just got passed late and I expect her to run much better Thursday.”

Effortlesslyelgant is a daughter of Liam’s Map who has won allowance races at distances from six furlongs to 1 1/16 miles.

“I think the main thing with her is we just haven’t found her niche yet,” Casse said. “When we do find it, she’s stakes caliber. So, this hopefully will be the first step to a nice year for her.”

The Majestic, which is for non-winners of a stakes race, is the last of 10 overnight stakes that Oaklawn offered this meet in a new wrinkle to the racing program.

Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount on Effortlesslyelgant from post 10.

“She’s pretty quick from the gate,” Casse said. “She’s pretty sharp. I wouldn’t take that away from her. Hopefully, we get her in a nice forward position.”

Santana, who on Sunday at Oaklawn hit a milestone of 2,000 Thoroughbred wins in North America, has been a regular aboard Effortlesslyelgant for owners Alex and JoAnn Lieblong.

Casse, whose father, Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, won this year’s Arkansas Derby with Sandman, is also closing out a strong meet that ends Saturday. He enters the final week of the season Thursday with 9 wins and 10 seconds from 52 starts, for stable earnings of $867,477. Norm Casse was an assistant to his father before launching his own training career. He won his first race in 2018.

“Oaklawn’s been very good to us since we started,” Norm Casse said. “One of the best decisions I ever made in my short career was starting to come to Oaklawn.”

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