Casse Targets Third Leg of Canadian Crown

If trainer Mark Casse has his way, there will be different winners of each of the three legs of the Canadian Triple Crown, which concludes Aug. 21 with the $500,000 Breeders' Stakes at Woodbine.

Casse has entered two colts in the 1 1/2-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds foaled in Canada. It's race nine on the Sunday program at the Ontario racetrack.

The first leg of the series, the Queen's Plate at 1 1/4 miles on the Tapeta surface at Woodbine, was won by Sir Dudley Digges; the second, the Prince of Wales Stakes at 1 3/16 miles on the dirt at Fort Erie Racetrack, went to Ivan Dalos' Amis Gizmo. Both colts return for the Breeders' Stakes.

LAMARRA: Favored Amis Gizmo Captures Prince of Wales

Conquest Stables' Conquest Daddyo, one of the Casse trainees, won the 1 1/8-mile Toronto Cup on grass at Woodbine last time out July 24. Last year at 2, the Scat Daddy   colt took the Summer Stakes (Can-IIT) at one mile at Woodbine and finished a solid closing fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) at Keeneland.

"I think 'Daddyo' is probably the horse to beat," Casse said. "Obviously there are horses coming in there with good form, but maybe not on grass. (Conquest Daddyo) has good form on grass and he wasn't beaten very far at the Breeders' Cup.

"The distance won't be an issue for him at all. He's ready to roll and all systems are go."

Casse also trains Gary Barber and Conrad Farms' Malibu Moon   colt Leavem in Malibu, second in the Prince of Wales and a two-time winner—in maiden and allowance company. He will make his first start on turf but breezed five furlongs in :59 3/5 on the grass in company with Conquest Daddyo Aug. 10 at Woodbine.

Amis Gizmo, who has six wins—all stakes—and a second in eight starts for trainer Josie Carroll, romped in the Prince of Wales after a close second-place finish to Sir Dudley Digges in the Queen's Plate. The Giant Gizmo   colt has had no issue with the Tapeta surface or dirt, and worked five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 on the Woodbine turf Aug. 14.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Sir Dudley Digges, by Gio Ponti  , is proven on the grass with one win, two seconds, and one third in five starts, all in maiden company. After he broke his maiden on the grass at Keeneland in April in his seventh start, the Mike Maker trainee finished third to Amis Gizmo in the Plate Trial and then won the Queen's Plate.

BALAN: Sir Dudley Digges Upsets Queen's Plate

Sir Dudley Digges was beaten more than 20 lengths in the Prince of Wales. Despite his victory in the first leg of the series, he went off at 4-1 versus Amis Gizmo, who was the favorite in the Prince of Wales.