Casse Contenders Loom Tough in Autumn, Maple Leaf

Six hopefuls, including Mark Casse trainees Dream Maker, Salute With Honor, and Skywire, are set to contest the CA$175,000 Autumn Stakes (G2), and 10 starters set their sights on the top spot in the CA$125,000 Maple Leaf Stakes (G3) Nov. 7 at Woodbine.

A 6-year-old son of To Honor and Serve, Salute With Honor enters the 1 1/16-mile Tapeta race for 3-year-olds and up off a score in the Durham Cup (G3) Oct. 11 at the same distance and on the same surface. Bred and owned by Live Oak Plantation, the chestnut gelding bested Skywire by a length.

Holding a 3 1/2-length advantage at the stretch call, Salute With Honor went on to notch his second straight score.

"He's fast," Casse said. "When they leave him alone, he's tough to beat. He's on a roll now."

Skywire, a 4-year-old son of Afleet Alex , has endured an uneven campaign with one win and a pair of seconds in six starts.

Dismissed at 17-1 in the July 4 Eclipse Stakes (G2), the Ontario-bred rallied for a 1 1/4-length score in the 1 1/16-mile Tapeta event.

In the Durham Cup, he was once again rolling late, closing two wide in the turn and making up ground with each step.

"He needs some help up front," Casse said. "He comes with a big run. I thought he ran extremely well last time because he got hung up a little bit. Salute With Honor was able to use his speed to get away from him. I think both horses are pretty equal in their abilities. I think it's just kind of who gets the trip when it comes to Salute With Honor and Skywire." 

Dream Maker, a three-time winner from 10 races, won his most recent start Sept. 27 at Woodbine. The 4-year-old son of Tapit  bred and owned by John Oxley scored by 2 1/4 lengths in the 1 1/8-mile Tapeta race.

"Dream Maker is a horse I thought a lot of," Casse said. "At one time, I thought he was a (Kentucky) Derby horse. He's extremely tough to train. I thought (jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson) did a superb job with him when he won his allowance race last time out. He has a ton of ability. He just doesn't always show it."

Casse is hoping for a repeat performance from the gray colt, who will make his fourth straight appearance at the Toronto oval.

"Dream Maker has to bring his 'A' game. If he comes with his 'A' game, he'll be very tough. The problem is that you just don't know when he's going to come with it. I think, even with him winning last time, that was his 'B' game."

Timeskip, Armistice Day, and Vanzzy complete the field.

Entries: Autumn S. (G2)

Woodbine, Saturday, November 07, 2020, Race 8

• Grade II
• 1 1/16m
• All Weather Track
• $175,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:52 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Dream Maker (KY)	Emma-Jayne Wilson	121	Mark E. Casse	8/1
2	2Timeskip (ON)	Justin Stein	121	Renee D. Kierans	10/1
3	3Armistice Day (KY)	David Moran	121	Barbara J. Minshall	9/2
4	4Vanzzy (KY)	Luis Contreras	120	Michael V. Pino	15/1
5	5Skywire (ON)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	124	Mark E. Casse	2/1
6	6Salute With Honor (FL)	Patrick Husbands	123	Mark E. Casse	1/1

Casse Duo Top Maple Leaf Stakes

Casse is represented by Heavenly Curlin and Tappitty Tappitty in the 1 1/4-mile main-track Maple Leaf Stakes for fillies and mares 3 and up.

Bred in Kentucky by Elevage II, Heavenly Curlin, a 3-year-old daughter of Curlin , has a record of 2-0-1 from four starts.

Owned by Gary Barber and Oxley, the bay is on a winning roll. She rallied to win a 1 1/16-mile Tapeta race July 12 at Woodbine by 1 3/4 lengths and just shy of three months later won at the same distance and on the same surface, this time a half-length victory with Wilson in the irons.

"She's 3 and I normally don't like them taking on older fillies just yet," Casse said. "But she's training really well, and I thought her last race was really good. I think she'll run well."

Live Oak homebred Tappitty Tappitty, a 4-year-old daughter of Tapit, will go after her third win in her ninth start.

"She's been a bit of an underachiever so far," Casse said. "She's done her best running on the grass, but we feel she trains well enough on the Tapeta to give her a chance. Both fillies, they have really good pedigrees. So in the future, for them to be broodmares, it's important for them to get black type."  

The Casse pair will meet up with a group of rivals that includes multiples graded-placed Art of Almost, multiple graded winner Elizabeth Way, and 2019 South Ocean Stakes winner Gun Society. All three are from the barn of trainer Roger Attfield.

Peace Seeker, A Broken Breeze, Silent Tango, Auntie Katherine, and Juliana complete the field.

Entries: Maple Leaf S. (G3)

Woodbine, Saturday, November 07, 2020, Race 6

• Grade III
• 1 1/4m
• All Weather Track
• $125,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 3:32 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Peace Seeker (FL)	Kazushi Kimura	122	Nicholas Nosowenko	20/1
2	2A Broken Breeze (ON)	Simon P. Husbands	122	Alexander F. McPherson	20/1
3	3Silent Tango (KY)	Justin Stein	121	Richard L. Morden	10/1
4	4Auntie Katherine (ON)	Juan Crawford	123	Alison Jennings	30/1
5	5Gun Society (ON)	Daisuke Fukumoto	119	Roger L. Attfield	10/1
6	6Juliana (PER)	Luis Contreras	121	Ignacio Correas, IV	15/1
7	7Heavenly Curlin (KY)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	120	Mark E. Casse	5/1
8	8Elizabeth Way (IRE)	David Moran	126	Roger L. Attfield	3/1
9	9Tappitty Tappitty (FL)	Patrick Husbands	122	Mark E. Casse	6/1
10	10Art of Almost (KY)	Emma-Jayne Wilson	122	Roger L. Attfield	2/1