Casse Switches Strategy for Ashland Duo

Part of being a top-level conditioner is knowing when to adjust your strategy when 'plan A' doesn't go how you imagined. Trainer Mark Casse, who is deft in manuevering the bumps in the road that come when training top horses, enters the $500,000 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) with a slight adjustment for his two charges.

The 1 1/16-mile Ashland at Keeneland April 8 looks to be a proper challenge for John Oxley's grade 1 winner Pretty City Dancer and Gary Barber's graded stakes placed Summer Luck. For both, who are now settled at Keeneland, it's a stretch out in distance and their first try around two turns—and a chance to prove themselves for a possible start in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) May 5. 

But the Canadian Hall of Fame conditioner is up to the challenge, as he's prepared to change the approach from their last two tries in grade 2 races at Gulfstream Park, the Davona Dale and the Forward Gal stakes. 

"Both of them are doing very well. This is, for both of them, their first time going two turns," Casse said. "I don't know why Pretty City Dancer didn't run better (in the Davona Dale). We're going to try to be a little more aggressive with her and get her closer to the pace. I could see Summer Luck maybe being a little closer too, just simply because the pace won't be as hot."

In their last effort, the March 4 Davona Dale, both raced off a quick opening tempo, going :23.65 for the quarter-mile and :46.60 for the half. As Summer Luck, with her typical closing rally, gained ground in the stretch and got up for third, Pretty City Dancer lacked a needed drive and finished a head-scratching sixth. The race was also the first time Pretty City Dancer wore blinkers in hopes for more initial speed, but they're nixed for the Ashland.

One race prior, the Feb. 4 Forward Gal, Pretty City Dancer remained slightly closer to the pace and followed the same four-wide move as the eventual winner, Tequilita, but crossed the wire a half-length back in second. Summer Luck showed a rally in the stretch, but finished a non-threatening fourth. 

Casse thinks it could have been the track at Gulfstream, not known for being friendly to closers, that could have had an impact on both fillies. 

"Pretty City Dancer, I think she struggled at Gulfstream, that's why she didn't do better," he said. "Even when she finished second (in the Forward Gal), I thought she struggled that day. 

"As far as Summer Luck, she's been closing into (the stretch), and it's not easy to close at Gulfstream. I think she'll appreciate Keeneland, the only bad part is the short stretch. But I'm not worried about that, I think she'll get over that track well."

The distance won't be the only challenge to Casse's duo, as they face tough competition with six other fillies slated to line up on Saturday.

Morning-line favorite Daddys Lil Darling hasn't hit the wire first for Normandy Farm since last September, when she won the 1 1/16-mile Pocahontas Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. From there, she finished second by a length in the grade 1 Darley Alcibiades Stakes, ran fourth in the 14 Hands Winery Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), and closed out 2016 with a second in the grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes, sixth lengths behind top Oaks contender Farrell. 

In her only sophomore start, the grade 3 Florida Oaks on turf, the Scat Daddy daughter made an effort to go between rivals but weakened to finish sixth. 

Claiborne Farm and Adele B. Dilschneider's Elate looks to make her first stakes score after finishing third as the favorite in the March 11 Honeybee Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park. The lightly raced Bill Mott trainee was an impressive 12 1/2-length winner in her first try at Aqueduct Racetrack in November.

Also entered are stakes winner Someday Soon, Starlet Stakes (G1) fourth-place finisher Tapped, and maiden winner Meanie Irenie.

For more on the connections of this year’s Blue Grass Stakes (G2) and Ashland Stakes (G1) runners, click here.

Central Bank Ashland S. (G1)

Keeneland, Saturday, April 08, 2017, Race 9

• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $500,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 5:40 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Someday Soon (OH)	Jose Lezcano	121	William B. Van Meter	15/1
2	2Elate (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	121	William I. Mott	7/2
3	3Pretty City Dancer (KY)	Joel Rosario	121	Mark E. Casse	7/2
4	4Meanie Irenie (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	121	Richard Baltas	30/1
5	5Summer Luck (KY)	Florent Geroux	121	Mark E. Casse	4/1
6	6Daddys Lil Darling (KY)	Robby Albarado	121	Kenneth G. McPeek	5/2
7	7Sailor's Valentine (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	121	Eddie Kenneally	12/1
8	8Tapped (KY)	David Romero Flores	121	Jerry Hollendorfer	4/1