Ride a Comet pointing to Kennedy Road as next start

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Mark Casse has ambitious plans for Ride a Comet’s next start, the Grade 2 Kennedy Road on Nov. 21, when the Grade 2 winner figures to meet Woodbine’s standout sprinters Pink Lloyd and Silent Poet in what could be the race of the meet.

Ride a Comet won four of six races, including the Del Mar Derby, during his breakout 3-year-old season in 2018. When returning from an extended layoff here Oct. 16, he won a second-level allowance on the Tapeta with a sweeping wide rally from seventh. His seven-furlong time of 1:21.31 was good for a 93 Beyer Speed Figure.

“Being off two years and two months, it was pretty impressive,” Casse said. “He bowed twice on us. I’m going to (run in the Kennedy Road) and then start thinking about grass for him. He beat some really good horses in the Del Mar Derby. He’s an extremely talented horse. He’s a half to Belmont winner Tapwrit.”

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Casse bypassed the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with the unbeaten Souper Sensational and will wait for the Grade 3 Mazarine here Nov. 22, when the daughter of Curlin will negotiate 1 1/16 miles. He said discussions with owner Charlotte Weber led to a more conservative approach for the contender for Canadian champion 2-year-old filly honors.

“We talked about it, and there would have been a lot of questions taking her to the Breeders’ Cup,” Casse explained. “We’d rather just ask one question at a time. Can she get two turns? If we went to the Breeders’ Cup, we’d ask her if she could go two turns and run on the dirt. This way, we ask only one question. I don’t see any reason why she wouldn’t (go long), but I never believe it until I see it.”

Casse said the speedy California Chrome filly California Lily is targeting Friday’s $125,000 Songbird Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on the Breeders’ Cup undercard at Keeneland.

Owned by Gary Barber, California Lily made quite a splash at first asking here Oct. 8, when she won a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special on the Tapeta by 5 1/2 lengths with an 83 Beyer.

“I thought she was really impressive,” Casse said. “She had really trained well. We bought her in June. After we had her for a few weeks and I breezed her, I told Gary Barber she could really run.”

*** Trainer Catherine Day Phillips will serve a 15-calendar-day suspension from Nov. 9-23 due to Barilko testing positive for the Class 3 medication Acepromazine in his Sept. 25 win. Barilko was disqualified from purse money.

*** After dropping an appeal, jockey Leo Salles is serving a lengthy suspension from Oct. 25-Dec. 9 for endangering the health and safety of another rider following the third race on Aug. 9.