Caspar Netscher Up in Time for Nearctic Win
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British raider Caspar Netscher charged between rivals and drove down the center of the Woodbine stretch to win the $300,000 Nearctic Stakes (Can-IIT) Oct. 19 in his second North American start.
Edging ahead of pacesetter Black Hornet in deep stretch, Caspar Netscher won by three-quarters length. Calgary Cat, the 3-1 favorite, closed swiftly from fourth but was outrun for the place, finishing a neck behind Black Hornet in the 10-horse field.
The victory ended a long winless drought for Caspar Netscher—12 starts over more than two years. The son of Dutch Art was last seen in a winner's circle after capturing the 2012 German Two Thousand Guineas (Ger-II) at Cologne. In the interim, he went to stud in 2013 at Morristown Lattin Stud in Co. Kildare, Ireland, but proved subfertile and was returned to training.
Andrew Mullen patiently waited off the pace with Caspar Netscher, racing in sixth through the first half mile, as Black Hornet opened a comfortable lead. The front-runner held his advantage nearly all the way in the six-furlong turf race and was clear by 3 1/2 lengths mid-stretch while appearing to have the victory sewed up. Caspar Netscher had plenty of energy in the drive, however, and dashed between opponents for the win.
The third choice at 4-1 odds, Caspar Netscher completed the trip in 1:08.97 on grass labeled good for his sixth win from 26 career starts. Fractions were lively considering the going as Black Hornet posted an opening quarter mile of :22.12 and a :44.52 half.
Caspar Netscher returned $11.60, $7.70, and $3.70 while Black Hawk was worth $9.80 and $6.30, both under 117 pounds. Calgary Cat, who toted 119, paid $3.40 to show.
Completing the order of finish were Excaper, the 121 topweight, Paso Doble, Lockout, Big Blue Spirit, Dreamsgonewild, Langstaff, and Upgrade.
David Simcock trains Caspar Netscher for Charles Wentworth. Along with Tom Malone, Alan McCabe bought him at the 2011 Tattersalls Craven breeze-up sale for 65,000 guineas and trained him for Wentworth until he joined Simcock to resume training.
Meon Valley Stud bred Caspar Netscher in Great Britain from the Singspiel mare Bella Cantata, a half sister to graded/group winner and sire Stagecraft and English highweight Balalaika.
Caspar Netscher had raced once previously in the United States, finishing eighth in the 2011 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) at Churchill Downs.