Casse Trio Takes Aim at Schuylerville Stakes

When the field enters the gate for the first of two graded stakes set for opening day July 20 at Saratoga Race Course, trainer Mark Casse will already have 30% of the field covered. 

The veteran conditioner will send out a trio of 2-year-old fillies to contest the $150,000 Schuylerville Stakes (G3), each making the step up in class for the first time.

First in line for Friday's six-furlong test is John Oxley's Catherinethegreat. The Florida-bred filly broke her maiden on second asking June 23 at Gulfstream Park, blowing her competitors out of the water with a thunderous gate-to-wire romp that saw her hit the wire 10 1/4 lengths ahead of the pack. The daughter of Uncaptured  will have the rail trip with jockey Jose Ortiz aboard. 

Coming to the race with the added bonus of previous stakes experience is Eyeinthesky. Another Florida-bred from Casse's barn, the Sky Mesa  filly followed her maiden win with a valiant effort last out in the June 7 Astoria Stakes at Belmont Park. Despite making brief contact with another horse out of the gate, Eyeinthesky finished third, less than two lengths behind the winner and just three-quarters of a length short of fellow Schuylerville entrant Lady Apple. 

Last on the Casse roster is Tapping Pearl, who enters off an impressive maiden victory June 29 at Churchill Downs. The Stonestreet Stable homebred will partner with Florent Geroux, who was aboard for her previous win. 

Stepping in to make the race a family affair, Mark Casse's son Norm—who left his father's operation to start his own public stable this spring—will send out Glencrest Farm and Robert E. Masterson's Fightress. The Tapizar  filly broke her maiden on first asking June 22 at Churchill and will break from post 4 with Julien Leparoux in the irons. 

Other horses to watch include Todd Pletcher's Nonna Madeline and Christophe Clement's Lonely Road. 

Entries: Schuylerville S. (G3)

Saratoga Race Course, Friday, July 20, 2018, Race 8

• Grade III
• 6f
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 5:02 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Catherinethegreat (FL)	Jose L. Ortiz	119	Mark E. Casse	5/2
2	2Nonna Madeline (KY)	John R. Velazquez	119	Todd A. Pletcher	7/2
3	3Congrats Gal (FL)	J. D. Acosta	119	Cathal A. Lynch	12/1
4	4Fightress (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	119	Norm W. Casse	12/1
5	5Lonely Road (KY)	Manuel Franco	119	Christophe Clement	15/1
6	6Tapping Pearl (KY)	Florent Geroux	119	Mark E. Casse	10/1
7	7Serengeti Empress (KY)	Javier Castellano	119	Thomas M. Amoss	6/1
8	8Eyeinthesky (FL)	Tyler Gaffalione	119	Mark E. Casse	6/1
9	9Lady Apple (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	117	Steven M. Asmussen	8/1
10	10Blame the Frog (KY)	Luis Saez	119	Ben Colebrook	12/1