La Coronel likely to challenge boys in American Turf

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Girls against boys – the trainer Mark Casse sees nothing wrong with it.

The recently retired Tepin made her mark beating males in major turf races, and the Casse-trained turf filly Catch a Glimpse has done the same. Now, it’s La Coronel’s turn.

La Coronel, Casse said, will be entered in the Edgewood Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on turf, a Friday race at Churchill Downs, and in the American Turf, a grass race for 3-year-olds of either sex on the Derby card here. Casse has the good filly Dream Dancing for the Edgewood and said Monday that La Coronel was a likely runner in the American Turf.

“We feel like she’s good enough to do it,” Casse said.

Beyond this week’s schedule, there are even more ambitious plans in the works for La Coronel. If the filly acquits herself admirably in the American Turf, she is slated to travel to England and race in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Royal Ascot in June, according to her trainer.

“Our feeling is this race is a good test to see if she should go there,” said Casse, who sent Tepin to an historic win in the Queen Anne Stakes last summer at the Royal Ascot meet.

La Coronel started her career last summer with losses in a pair of maiden dirt races, but when switched third out to a turf route at Saratoga, she won a maiden race by four lengths.

She came back with a dominant win in the Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland last fall, and after entirely excusable defeats in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf to end her 2-year-old season and the Florida Oaks to begin her 3-year-old campaign, she won the Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland last month by more than three lengths.

She should be tested by what looks like a good group Saturday at Churchill, with Oscar Performance, Big Score, Made You Look, and Conquest Farenheit among the prospective starters in the race.