Kasuga a wild card in Royal North Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – What do you do with the speedy Kasuga in Saturday’s $125,000 Royal North Stakes, a contentious six-furlong turf sprint at Woodbine?

Kasuga lowered the six-furlong course record and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 98 in winning a $50,000 claimer by 6 1/2 lengths on July 7. Her previous form was mediocre, and some regression seems inevitable in this tougher event, but she could take this field a long way under Jesse Campbell. Kasuga has some stakes experience. Trainer Marty Drexler claimed her for $32,000 last September and then sent her out to win an allowance before she wound up third behind Shelbysmile and Neck of the Moon in the one-mile River Memories Stakes in November.

American shippers have had lots of success in the Grade 3 Royal North, and the Kentucky-based Nobody’s Fault should be among the favorites. She ran second to Lady Aurelia in the April 15 Giant’s Causeway Stakes at Keeneland and then won the Unbridled Sidney Stakes at Churchill before flattening out to finish third there in a June 9 allowance.

Trainer Neil Pessin entered Nobody’s Fault and Scatter Gun, who has been coming up short in middle-distance allowances/optional claimers. A red-hot Luis Contreras was named on both runners.

The versatile Miss Gossip beat two next-out winners last time out when third in the Satin N Lace Stakes on the Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs. She was previously a wide fourth in the Unbridled Sidney under James Graham, who is 3 for 15 on the year when riding for trainer Andrew McKeever.

Skylander Girl could prove best among the local contingent. The multiple stakes winner had a subpar 2016 season due to injury, but’s she come back strong this year for owner and trainer Alex Patykewich. After notching a second-level optional claimer May 21, she beat Ontario-breds on July 1 in the seven-furlong Zadracarta Stakes.

Southern Ring is shortening up to a more suitable distance after coming up empty as the pacesetter in the Zadracarta.

Grade 3 Hendrie Stakes winner Code Warrior is making her first turf start. She’s a daughter of the good turf sire Society’s Chairman.