Marine Serves as Key Prep for Queen's Plate

A key prep on the road to this year's Queen's Plate, the CA$150,000 July 2 Marine Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds, has attracted notable Canadian-breds, including Allegorical , Duke of Love , Ironstone , Lac Macaza , and Rondure , whose connections are seeking a shot at Plate glory.

Twelve-time Sovereign Award-winning trainer Mark Casse saddles two live contenders in the 1 1/16-mile contest over the Tapeta main track. 

D. J. Stable's Mannix  enters off an allowance victory over the Woodbine oval. The chestnut son of Australia  broke his maiden in his North American unveiling last October at Gulfstream Park after making his first three starts in his native Ireland. Two starts back, Mannix was unlucky in his stakes debut in the April 2 Cutler Bay Stakes at Gulfstream when hitting the gate at the break. Finishing sixth that day, the colt shipped up to Woodbine and scored a determined victory in a May 22 allowance race after enduring a troubled trip in the stretch.

"I think Mannix is a pretty nice horse," Casse said. "I thought his last race was extremely good. He got in some trouble and was still able to win. He's a horse I've been impressed with."

Mannix will be ridden back by Emma-Jayne Wilson in the Marine.

His stablemate Allegorical comes into the Marine after a late-running debut score June 4 at Woodbine. The Giant Gizmo  gelding will test out the stakes ranks for the first time in his career.

Owned by Polo Management Services, Allegorical retains the services of jockey Patrick Husbands. 

"I thought (Allegorical)'s last race was really good," Casse said. "He seems to be on the improve. Obviously, we're hoping that he has a big race ahead of the Queen's Plate."

The Marine is complemented by the CA$150,000 Selene Stakes (G3) earlier on the card. A 1 1/16-mile tilt over the Tapeta for 3-year-old fillies, the Selene serves as a prep for the July 24 $500,000 Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser.

The field is headed by Chiefswood Stables' homebred Pioneer's Edge , who will take on seven rivals in the Selene.

A daughter of Pioneerof the Nile , the Josie Carroll trainee won first time out on May 15, taking a seven-furlong main track race by 1 3/4 lengths as the 2-1 choice.

"I've always quite liked her," said Chiefswood general manager Robert Landry. "She had some maturing to do, and we just gave her some time. She's aggressive when she trains. She's a sweetheart in the stall, but when she goes out to train, she's a very forward horse. She just wants to go, that's her thing."

In her second start, Pioneer's Edge stepped up to the stakes level in the June 11 Stella Artois Fury Stakes and just missed by a head to the highly regarded Moira . 

"We weren't going to go in the Fury," recalled Landry. "There was a two-turn race that we wanted to get her in, but it didn't go, and that's why we ended up running in the Fury. I really believe she wants to run long, and the Selene will be the best way to get her a two-turn race leading up to the Oaks. She's a very talented filly and was just unlucky, in my opinion, not to win her last race."

Casse has won a record seven Selene crowns, including the past four editions. His first Selene score came in 2001 with Dark Ending.

The trainer has three chances at winning his fifth straight running with Mrs. Barbara , Canada's champion 2-year-old female in 2021, Souper Hoity Toity , and Join the Dance .

Entries: Marine S. (G3)

Woodbine, Saturday, July 02, 2022, Race 9

• Grade III
• 1 1/16m
• All Weather Track
• $150,000
• 3 yo
• 5:20 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Ironstone (ON)	Ademar Santos	118	W. V. Armata	6/1
2	2Allegorical (ON)	Patrick Husbands	118	Mark E. Casse	15/1
3	3Unraptured (FL)	Antonio A. Gallardo	120	Roger L. Attfield	15/1
4	4Rondure (ON)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	118	Katerina Vassilieva	5/2
5	5Fuerteventura (KY)	Kazushi Kimura	122	Jonathan Thomas	3/1
6	6Duke of Love (ON)	Justin Stein	118	Josie Carroll	7/2
7	7Lac Macaza (ON)	Luis Contreras	118	Julia Carey	8/1
8	8Mannix (IRE)	Emma-Jayne Wilson	120	Mark E. Casse	8/1

Entries: Selene S. (G3)

Woodbine, Saturday, July 02, 2022, Race 7

• Grade III
• 1 1/16m
• All Weather Track
• $150,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 4:16 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Absolute Jewel (ON)	Daisuke Fukumoto	118	Michael P. De Paulo	20/1
2	2Pioneer's Edge (ON)	Justin Stein	118	Josie Carroll	4/1
3	3Mrs. Barbara (KY)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	122	Mark E. Casse	3/1
4	4Ephrata (GB)	Luis Contreras	118	Josie Carroll	8/1
5	5Join the Dance (KY)	Emma-Jayne Wilson	118	Mark E. Casse	6/1
6	6Gizala (IRE)	Dylan Davis	118	H. Graham Motion	8/1
7	7Souper Hoity Toity (KY)	Patrick Husbands	120	Mark E. Casse	10/1
8	8Catiche (KY)	Kazushi Kimura	120	Jonathan Thomas	5/2