Trainer Mark Casse following King’s Plate contenders from distance
Article content
Mark Casse is once again at the centre of attention at a King’s Plate. This time, though, he won’t be in attendance.
The dual hall-of-fame trainer, who recently surpassed 4,000 training wins for his career, will be trusting his Woodbine staff to saddle No Time and Ashley’s Archer in the $1-million Plate, looking for his fourth win in the race.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Trainer Mark Casse following King’s Plate contenders from distance Back to video
But, physically, he will be at Saratoga chasing another huge prize: The $600,000 US Alabama Stakes.
No Time is the 7-2 morning-line favourite for the Plate off his win in the Woodbine Oaks on July 20. The only filly in the race, No Time stalked a quick pace in the Oaks and had more than enough to quicken smartly in the stretch.
“Early, she was just off the pace, and then for her to finish the way she did,” Casse said. “(Jockey John Velazquez) said when he asked her to pick it up, she took off with him.”
A well-bred daughter of Not This Time, No Time comes into the Plate with two wins in eight starts.
“She’s one of the best sires in the world,” Casse said. “She has the pedigree to be any kind.”
Ashley’s Archer has one win in seven starts. She finished first in last fall’s Cup and Saucer, but was disqualified back to fifth for interference. She most recently was narrowly beaten in an optional claiming event on July 13.
“I think his race was very good,” Casse said. “He needed it and he should be a better horse for the King’s Plate.”
Velazquez, who rode Wonder Gadot to a Plate win for Casse in 2018, once again pilots No Time. Sahin Civaci, a regular rider for Casse at Woodbine, will be aboard Ashley’s Archer.
If one of Casse’s starters does win the Plate, he will have no time to celebrate. He sends out two of the top 3-year-old fillies in the Alabama just minutes later.
La Cara has won two graded stakes this year and Nitrogen, who has three stakes triumphs — most recently a romp in the Saratoga mud. Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer will be their main rival in upstate New York.
CUP TICKET
The major undercard race on Saturday is the CAD$750,000 E. P. Taylor Stakes with a spot in the gate for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on the line. She Feels Pretty, arguably the top turf mare in North America is the 3-5 favourite. Her six rivals include the Roger Attfield-trained Ready for Shirl and 2024 Plate winner Caitlinhergrtness, who recently was second in the Trillium Stakes.
OTHER FEATURES
Casse will be using Saratoga’s monitors to watch other Woodbine stakes as well. He’ll send out 2-1 favourite Sweet Fusion, a winner in her only start, in the $150,000 Catch A Glimpse Stakes. His four-year-old Victory Achieved will battle favorites Playmea Tune and Simcoe in the $150,000 Bold Venture Stakes. Six-year-old War Strategy will take on top choices Cruden Bay and Dresden Row in the $200,000 King Edward Stakes. And Casse will hope Casson can make it a hat trick of wins in the $150,000 Soaring Free Stakes, where he is the 2-1 morning-line choice.
GREEN THUMB
Woodbine’s main turf course is getting a major facelift. Following Sunday’s card, the E.P. Taylor turf course will close for the next year to allow a new drainage system and new Kentucky bluegrass to be installed along the backstretch.
“The E. P. Taylor turf course has played host to some of the most memorable moments in Canadian racing,” Woodbine CEO Michael Copeland said in a statement. “This renovation ensures it remains one of the finest turf courses in the world.”
The renovation will result in Woodbine’s major turf races will move to the inner course starting with the Woodbine Mile on Sept. 13. Thursday and Friday cards also will shift to the late afternoon and evening to allow construction to commence.
PLATE FIELD
1. Mansetti (Kevin Attard/Pietro Moran*) 10-1
2. William T (Don MacRae/David Moran) 20-1
3. Notorious Gangster (Josie Carroll/Fraser Aebly) 9-2
4. Scorching (John Charalambous/Jose Lezcano) 10-1
5. Mythical Man (Danny Gargan/Sofia Vives) 50-1
6. Faber (Kevin Attard/Pietro Moran*) 30-1
7. Runaway Again (Sid Attard/Javier Castellano) 12-1
8. Dewolf (Kevin Attard/Flavien Prat) 30-1
9. Watsonville Red (Mike De Paulo/Leo Salles) 50-1
10. No Time (Mark Casse/John Velazquez) 7-2
11. Tom’s Magic (Michael Stidham/Rafael Hernandez) 5-1
12. Sedbury’s Ghost (Barb Minshall/Ryan Munger) 6-1
13. Ashley’s Archer (Mark Casse/Sahin Civaci) 12-1
* Pietro Moran’s mount TBD
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.