Trio of European Runners Look Tough in Summer
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Photo: Edward Whitaker/Racing Post
Al Hudaiba (right) wins the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse
Mark Casse, a Hall of Fame trainer in both the United States and Canada, has experienced plenty of success in Woodbine's top races for 2-year-olds over the years. He has visited the winner's circle of the CA$500,000 Summer Stakes (G1T) four times, while also saddling eight winners of the CA$500,000 Natalma Stakes (G1T).
Twice he has won both 1-mile races in the same year.
Now, Casse is taking the opportunity to try and secure a fifth Summer win and a ninth Natalma Sept. 12 with five entries in each race. Although, from those 10 entries are only seven horses, as three fillies were cross-entered in both races.
Two of those three fillies—Bill and Liz Poston Racing and Brad Smith's Nicki Knows Best and D. J. Stable's Voyager🔥 —exit their maiden wins, while Gary Barber's Bounce Back finished second on debut in her only start. Casse entered the trio in the Summer to see what the rest of the field turned out to be. Having seen the entries, Casse told BloodHorse Sept. 10 that he is likely to keep all three in against females in the Natalma unless there are some key scratches.
The Summer came up extremely tough as a trio of accomplished European horses shipped in. Where only three of the nine North American entries have stakes experience, all three of the Europeans have not only run in stakes, but hold an experience edge with at least three starts each.
Godolphin homebred Al Hudaiba won the Superlative Stakes (G2) July 11 at Newmarket Racecourse before wheeling back to finish third by a half-length in the Vintage Stakes (G2) 17 days later at Goodwood Racecourse. The two horses ahead of him take on group 1 company in Ireland Sept. 13, and that class lifts the son of Dark Angel to be the 2-1 morning-line favorite Saturday at Woodbine for Charlie Appleby.
Godolphin also enters Kentucky-bred Sword Salute with Charlie Johnston who faced listed company in England and exits a 2-length win in a class 2 handicap. Bond Thoroughbred's Big Money Man exits a runner-up finish against listed company in France for Christopher Head.
"The Summer came up extremely tough, so unless there are some big scratches or something happens, I would say all our girls are going to run in the Natalma," Casse said. "We've seen crazy things happen. We'll wait and see. Those horses from Europe shipping over, there's a lot of things that can go wrong.
"It's better to be in and wanting to get out than out and wanting to get in. That's always been my philosophy, and it continues."
In addition to the fillies, Casse does have two colts entered. Gold Standard Racing Stable's Speaker's Speech debuted Aug. 15 in the Soaring Free Stakes. The son of Speaker's Corner spotted the field several lengths after breaking poorly, but made a long, sustained run around the far turn to take command at the top of the stretch. The effort to catch up taxed him as he was unable to hold off the charge of Natalma entrant De la Renta , getting beat by a head.
De la Renta (outside) beats Speaker's Speech in the Soaring Free Stakes at Woodbine
With that 6 1/2-furlong start under his belt and the addition of Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez to the saddle, he could be a tough customer at 12-1. Casse also enters Gold Standard's Play It Again , cutting back from a maiden win over 1 1/16 miles on yielding turf Aug. 1 at Ellis Park.
De la Renta is 6-1 in the Natalma off that aforementioned victory for X-Men Racing and Madaket Stables. The daughter of Oscar Performance is also trying to help trainer Kevin Attard pull off a Summer/Natalma double as he has Soaring Free third-place finisher Quipster in the Summer for Al and Bill Ulwelling. Attard also enters X-Men, Madaket, and Canuck Racing Club's Cattrall in the Natalma off a gate-to-wire maiden win over 6 1/2 furlongs.
Other trainers seeking the Summer/Natalma double with last-out maiden winners are Whit Beckman, who saddles Anthony Tate, Robert Ogilvie, Joe Pickerrell, and Diamond T Racing's Let Em Know in the Summer and Icon Racing Stable's Runaway Bride in the Natalma; and Graham Motion, who sends out Pin Oak Stud's Induction in the Summer and Wertheimer and Frere's Embouteillage🔥 in the Natalma.
Casse's hand will be strong in the Natalma as, in addition to the three cross-entered fillies, he has D. J. Stable's Catch A Glimpse Stakes runner-up Royal Foxtrot and Gary Barber and Breeze Easy's Ez Miss Sassy , who makes her turf debut in search of her first win.
Casse said this year's Natalma group reminds him of his 2024 filly class where he had six entries and swept the trifecta with And One More Time🔥 , Vixen , and future Canadian and American champion Nitrogen .
Pulling off the Natalma trifecta will be extra tough this year as Canadian Hall of Famer Josie Carroll appears to have another good one on her hands after winning the race last year. Mark Dodson's Lamirada debuted Aug. 8 on Woodbine's Tapeta with an impressive 11 3/4-length win, making her Saturday's 5-2 favorite.
The winners of both races will receive automatic, fees-paid berths to the Breeders' Cup through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In. The Summer offers a spot in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) while the Natalma offers a berth to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T).