Gale Force blows into town for turf debut

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Gale Force has every right to be a star. Not only was the 2-year-old filly produced by Sealy Hill, the 2007 Canadian Horse of the Year, but she became a graded stakes winner in her only start.

That race came over Tapeta in the Grade 3 Mazarine at Woodbine, and now trainer Mark Casse is eager to see how Gale Force will do on the Churchill Downs turf as the filly migrates south for the winter. Casse is taking advantage of a never-won-two restriction for Gale Force in the last of three allowance races to be run Wednesday at Churchill.

“It’d be nice to know that turf is another option we have with her this winter in Florida,” Casse said. “She was really game in her first start, and she’s shown us plenty already.”

Gale Force, with Julien Leparoux to ride, will break from post 3 in an oversubscribed field of 2-year-old fillies in the ninth of 10 Wednesday races. The $60,000 allowance is part of a Single 6 sequence (races 5-10) offering a rollover jackpot of $69,852.

KEY CONTENDERS (race 9)

Gale Force, by Giant’s Causeway

(Beyer: 66)

◗ Owned by Dixiana Farms, this chestnut filly showed sufficient promise in her morning training that Casse entered her without a prep in the Oct. 8 Mazarine, which she won in a photo finish after prompting the pace.

Price too High, by Scat Daddy

(Last 3 Beyers: 66-16-70)

◗ Turf seems the preferred surface for this Wesley Ward-trained filly who rebounded from a poor effort in the Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland to finish a creditable second on the Keeneland grass in an allowance race.

Lady Hansen, by Hansen

(Last 3 Beyers: 0-67-56)

◗ Finished last of 14 in the Alcibiades, an obvious throwout.

◗ She flashed ability on this circuit for trainer Mike Maker, who has given her three workouts at Trackside since the Alcibiades.

In the earlier allowances:

C. Islandsurprise figures to be favored in race 3, a $60,000 first-level race for fillies and mares going a one-turn mile. The 4-year-old filly has won four of seven starts at Churchill and has had six local breezes since a subpar effort at the September meet.

Richies Sweetheart, Melaleuca, and Claire Nation are the principals in race 5, a $70,000 turf sprint for fillies and mares with wide-open conditions. Richies Sweetheart, trained by Larry Rivelli, is a multiple stakes winner shipping in from Chicago.

First post Wednesday is 1 p.m. Eastern.