Kantune, Conquest Curlinate show promise for Casse

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer Mark Casse has unleashed some quality 3-year-olds on the Oaklawn meet just three weeks into the season, and one of those winners will see stakes action in the immediate future. Casse said Kantune, who popped a Beyer Speed Figure of 84 in winning a maiden special weight route, is headed for the Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest at Oaklawn.

The Southwest, at 1 1/16 miles, highlights a holiday Monday card Feb. 16. The race is the first of two major steppingstones to the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 11. The other is the Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel on March 14.

Kantune was always prominent in his 1 1/16-mile race Jan. 23 at Oaklawn. He darted clear by 3 1/2 lengths as the favorite and put himself in the Southwest.

“I thought his maiden win the other day was pretty impressive,” Casse said. “He won with something left in the tank. I think he deserves a chance.”

Kantune began his career in Southern California. One start prior to his Oaklawn score, he had run third to the well-regarded Prospect Park in a maiden special weight at Santa Anita. Prospect Park returned in his next start to win an allowance by 5 1/2 lengths last month at Santa Anita.

Kantune races for Gary Barber.

Conquest Curlinate showed talent in winning a maiden special weight route for Conquest Stables and Casse on Saturday at Oaklawn and is a long-range prospect for the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine, according to Casse. Before then, Conquest Curlinate could make an appearance in either the Rebel or Arkansas Derby.

“If everything went super, obviously we’d love to run in the Rebel or Arkansas Derby,” Casse said. “He’ll have to do everything right for that to happen.”

Casse said that ideally, Conquest Curlinate will make another start in the overnight ranks before being considered for a stakes. The son of Curlin and the Grade 2 Mazarine winner Higher World was making his two-turn debut in the 1 1/16-mile maiden race at Oaklawn. He did not get the break, launched a determined bid into the final turn, came five wide into the stretch, and won by 2 1/4 lengths.

“We always felt like he wanted more ground, and he’d trained well at Oaklawn, so we were hoping for a big effort,” Casse said.

But when the horse spotted the field several lengths after hopping at the start, Casse said he became concerned.

“As that turned out, it was a wonderful experience for him, to be able to overcome what he did. He gained experience, and all ended well,” Casse said. “[But] he can’t do what he did the other day, give up that much ground to good horses, and so we’ll concentrate on getting his gate behavior a little better and go from there.”

Catalano sophomores step up

Trainer Wayne Catalano also has had some impressive 3-year-old winners at the young Oaklawn meet. He said Instant Replay, who won a first-level allowance over 1 1/16 miles on Jan. 19, remains a candidate for the Southwest for owners Gary and Mary West.

Oceanwave, another first-level allowance winner at Oaklawn, has run herself into consideration for the track’s Grade 3, $150,000 Honeybee on March 7, said Catalano. She overcame a difficult trip in the allowance sprint Jan. 22, when she was bumped around at the start, lost ground, and came six wide into the stretch before going on to a 3 3/4-length win under Shaun Bridgmohan.

“She ran a great race,” Catalano said. “We got calls from a lot of people on how good a race it was. The jock was excited. We were happy with it.”

Oceanwave is a daughter of Harlan’s Holiday who also races for the Wests. Oceanwave’s dam, Tamboz, is a full sister to Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Tapizar. The female family goes back to past Arkansas Derby winner Olympio.

Kinesio tape on race day?

The Arkansas Racing Commission has received a request to use Kinesio tape on horses on race day, and a committee has been formed to deliberate the topic, according to the stewards at Oaklawn.

Kinesio tape is a therapeutic tool used to support muscles and joints and reduce inflammation, according to various accounts of the product. There is a special tape for horses and another used by human athletes. There are a handful of horses at Oaklawn who train in Kinesio tape.

◗ Don’t Tell Sophia, one of the top older females in North America, last had a published work Dec. 26, going a half-mile at Oaklawn. Her co-owner and trainer, Phil Sims, said that at this time, he has no comment on her status. Don’t Tell Sophia, a bang-up second in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff after winning the Spinster, last raced Nov. 27 and was second in the Grade 2 Falls City at Churchill. She is a 7-year-old daughter of Congaree.