Casse Eyes Second Straight Queen's Plate Win
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Trainer Mark Casse, a seven-time Sovereign Award winner as Canada's top conditioner, will try for a second consecutive Queen's Plate win July 5 at Woodbine.
The last trainer to win back-to-back Plates—for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds—was Mark Frostad (Scatter the Gold, 2000; Dancethruthedawn, 2001).
Last year, Casse celebrated his first win in Canada's most famous horse race when filly Lexie Lou parlayed her Woodbine Oaks triumph into a resounding Plate score, en route to three Sovereign Awards, including Horse of the Year honors.
For the 156th edition of the 'Gallop for the Guineas' as the race is known, Casse will send out a pair for Conquest Stables—Conquest Curlinate and Conquest Boogaloo, the respective second- and third-place finishers in the Plate Trial June 14.
There's also a possibility that another Casse runner, Oakton, owned by Bill and Vicki Poston, may be entered.
Conquest Curlinate, a son of Curlin who has earned $194,363, is still looking for his first stakes win but has been a close second in his last three added-money events—the grade III Illinois Derby at Hawthorne Race Course, grade II Peter Pan at Belmont Park, and the Plate Trial, when finishing three-quarters of a length behind Plate rival Danish Dynaformer.
"Curlinate' definitely had a much better trip (in the Plate Trial) than (stablemate Conquest) 'Boogaloo'," Casse said. "He did get held up a little bit. And that's not him. He's like a 747. Needs a big runway to get him rolling. He's not a Lear jet."
To be ridden again by Shaun Bridgmohan, Conquest Curlinate blew out for the Plate impressively June 28, working five furlongs in 1:01.
"The consensus is that Curlinate worked extremely well," continued Casse, who was in Florida at the time. Curlinate broke off two (lengths) behind (Supersizer) and they finished together. He went really well. We were really not looking for anything spectacular. I told them to just do a nice easy work with no gallop out."
Conquest Boogaloo, a son of Scat Daddy , has banked $179,960, highlighted by a win last year in the Swynford Stakes at Woodbine. This year, in three outings his best result was his most recent, the Plate Trial, but he's encountered serious traffic trouble in his last two. He'll be piloted for a third time by Alan Garcia.
"I mean, it was amazing to me that Boogaloo ran as close as he did (beaten two lengths by Danish Dynaformer)," said Casse. "Especially because when the incident happened (the fatal breakdown by another Casse runner, favored Danzig Moon, going into the far turn), you know, it really affected Boogaloo. I think he lost eight or 10 lengths (by having to veer away from the trouble).
"In the Marine (Can-III, May 16, when eighth to another Plate rival Shaman Ghost, but blocked throughout the stretch), that was dreadful. He probably should have won the Marine. With a little better luck, he might have been tough in the Plate Trial. I would have to think the mile and one-quarter won't bother him. Hopefully he gets a good trip.
"I think (the Plate) is a wide open race. I think both horses have as good a shot as anybody.The Plate Trial is a perfect example of why you can never be too confident. I just know there are so many variables out of your control."