Skywire can extend Casse's hot hand in Marine Stakes
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mark Casse swept all three Woodbine stakes last weekend. He will try to keep the ball rolling Saturday when he sends out Skywire and Hoffa’s Union in the $125,000 Marine, and Blueblood in the $125,000 Greenwood.
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Skywire will prep for the $1 million Queen’s Plate on June 29 in the Grade 3 Marine, a 1 1/16-mile test for 3-year-olds. Despite running greenly through the stretch, he won the April 28 Wando Stakes going the Marine distance in a quick 1:42.37, just 0.21 seconds off the synthetic-track record.
“He has the potential to be a very serious horse,” Casse said. “I’m excited about him, and he seems to be getting better and better. I’m really looking forward to him running.”
The Marine drew a field of five and will go as the third on a 10-race card.
KEY CONTENDERS
Skywire, by Afleet Alex
Last 3 Beyers: 88-66-77
◗ Casse took the 2017 Marine with the talented Souper Tapit, who captured last Monday’s Grade 2 Eclipse Stakes here.
Global Access, by Giant’s Causeway
Last 3 Beyers: 83-87-80
◗ A regular visitor to Woodbine from his Maryland base, he remained here after ending up second under Patrick Husbands in the Wando, from which third-place finisher Federal Law exited to land the Queenston Stakes.
“He’s doing real good,” said trainer Mike Trombetta, who is taking the blinkers off. “I left him with a friend of mine to train there over the track so he wouldn’t have to ship back and forth again. Hopefully, that helps him some. Patrick worked him there.”
Hoffa’s Union, by Union Rags
Last 3 Beyers: 74-73-95
◗ After graduating by 15 1/2 lengths at first asking Feb. 28 at Laurel, he was sold to a partnership that includes Gary Barber. He subsequently finished eighth in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial and sixth in a sloppy allowance at Churchill.
Dabo, by Temple City
Last 3 Beyers: 81-70-69
◗ Trained by Dale Romans, the Kentucky shipper is coming off a daylight score in an Illinois-bred allowance on the Polytrack at Arlington.
Pink Lloyd in Greenwood
Pink Lloyd, the 2017 Canadian Horse of the Year and a two-time champion male sprinter, should be a short price in this six-furlong sprint for Ontario-breds.
Pink Lloyd won the Grade 3 Jacques Cartier Stakes for the third year in a row in his season opener while flirting with his own six-furlong synthetic-track record. He subsequently worked a half-mile in a bullet 46.40 seconds on May 16.
Pink Lloyd is trained by Robert Tiller, who also entered the Jacques Cartier’s seventh-place finisher, Circle Friends.
Blueblood will be a longshot. He competed with a $40,000 claiming price when beating non-winners-of-three opposition off an extended layoff here April 27.
