Casse Duo Will Face Off in Churchill Distaff
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Photo: Keeneland/Coady Photography
La Coronel wins the QE II Challenge Cup Stakes at Keeneland
The May 5 $300,000 Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (G2T) is shaping up to be a classic tale of old rivalries, narrow misses, dueling stablemates, and—hopefully for at least one runner—redemption.
With no graded victories in 2018, Mark Casse's grade 1 winners La Coronel and Dream Dancing will battle it out against nine challengers.
As part of the undercard of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), the John Oxley-owned pair will meet on the track for the one-mile test for 4-year-old fillies and up over the Churchill Downs turf.
Running as the co-highweight with Madame Dancealot, La Coronel will give two pounds to the field and break from post 11 in hopes of attaining her first graded victory since the Oct. 14 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes presented by Lane's End (G1T) at Keeneland.
The daughter of Colonel John logged her first graded win at 2, setting a high bar for a career that would eventually carry her to three more graded victories.
With a record of 5-3-1 in 15 starts, La Coronel has already faced graded company three times this year. A top contender in the April 14 Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T), La Coronel managed to draw even with the leaders in the second turn but weakened in the stretch to finish fourth. Jockey Jose Lezcano, who has had the mount for La Coronel's last five races, will ride again Saturday.
Stablemate Dream Dancing will also look to cover lost ground this season. Coming off a seventh-place finish in the Suwannee River Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park, the daughter of leading sire Tapit has not won in three starts over the Louisville oval.
At morning-line odds of 7-2, Joseph Allen's homebred Dream Awhile is the second choice. Trained by Chad Brown, the daughter of War Front missed by a only neck to stablemate Elysea's World in the Feb. 10 Suwannee River Stakes (G3T), her only out this year.
In addition to the Casse rivalry, familiar competitors Res Ipsa and On Leave, who ran second and third, respectively, in the March 31 Honey Fox Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream, return for the Churchill Distaff. Res Ipsa, a 5-year-old daughter of English Channel , finished a nose behind Lull in the Honey Fox, with On Leave a half-length behind.
The only runner with a graded victory this season is Madam Dancealot. Owned by Slam Dunk Racing, the Irish-bred daughter of Sir Prancealot won the March 18 Santa Ana Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita Park by a half-length. Since relocating from England in 2016, the Richard Baltas-trained filly has finished worse than third just four times in 11 U.S. starts. She capped her 2017 season with a runner-up effort in the Dec. 30 American Oaks (G1T).
Madam Dancealot will break from the rail with regular rider Corey Nakatani aboard.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 05, 2018, Race 7Entries: Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. (G2T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Madam Dancealot (IRE)
Corey S. Nakatani
120
Richard Baltas
5/1
2
2Thundering Sky (KY)
Rajiv Maragh
118
George Weaver
10/1
3
3Dream Awhile (KY)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
118
Chad C. Brown
7/2
4
4Insta Erma (KY)
Joel Rosario
118
Richard Baltas
8/1
5
5Dream Dancing (KY)
Javier Castellano
118
Mark E. Casse
10/1
6
6Proctor's Ledge (KY)
John R. Velazquez
118
Brendan P. Walsh
12/1
7
7Res Ipsa (KY)
Julien R. Leparoux
118
Ian R. Wilkes
10/1
8
8Madame Stripes (ARG)
Flavien Prat
118
Neil D. Drysdale
12/1
9
9On Leave (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
118
Claude R. McGaughey III
8/1
10
10Pyscho Sister (WA)
Florent Geroux
118
Ari Herbertson
30/1
11
11La Coronel (KY)
Jose Lezcano
120
Mark E. Casse
3/1
