Casse, Barber have contenders in both stakes

Gary Barber and trainer Mark Casse have a pair of promising 3-year-olds set to run in Saturday’s stakes double at Gulfstream Park.

Natural Power is on deck for the $100,000 Not Surprising, and Lucky Polly is a go for the $100,000 Martha Washington for fillies. The races are for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf.

Natural Power is part of a field of nine for the Not Surprising, which has been a target for the horse since his fourth-place finish in the $100,000 Audubon on June 20 at Churchill Downs.

“After that last race, we brought him to Ocala, specifically to run him here,” said Casse, who has prepped Natural Power at his training center in Ocala, Fla.

Casse noted the Audubon was a strong race.

“That was a pretty good field,” he said. “The horse that won, Field Pass, came back and won the Transylvania.”

The Grade 3 Transylvania was July 12 at Keeneland.

Casse also noted Pixelate, who was third in the Audubon, returned in his next start to finish second by a half-length in the Grade 3 Kent on July 4 at Delaware Park.

Natural Power worked a bullet half-mile in 47.80 seconds at Casse’s training center July 28 in preparation for the cutback from 1 1/8 miles to a mile. The horse’s last win came at a mile on turf in a first-level allowance Feb. 8 at Fair Grounds.

“He ran a big race,” Casse said. “He’s a horse; I think there’s more than what we’ve seen.”

Miguel Vasquez has the mount on Natural Power.

Natural Power could get a stalking trip behind such rivals as Givemetwenty, an allowance winner at a mile on turf at Gulfstream in his last start July 4. The Beyer Speed Figure of 82 that the son of Declaration of War earned is the best lastrace number in the field Saturday. Emisael Jaramillo has the mount for trainer Ralph Nicks.

Monforte is looking to win his fifth straight race. His streak started in an optional $35,000 claiming race from which he was haltered last September. Monforte proceeded to win a pair of allowances in January before wiring the field in the $60,000 Sage of Monticello at a mile on turf in his last start Feb. 17 at Gulfstream.

Lucky Polly was among 10 entered for the Martha Washington, which includes Tour ne sol, Yesterday once more, and Blue Mistress, the first three finishers in last month’s $60,000 Portofino Bay at Gulfsteam. Saturday’s race will be the first since March for Lucky Polly.

“She’s training very well,” Casse said Wednesday. “I’ve had her up here at our training center, had her with me.”

Lucky Polly was a maiden special weight winner over the Gulfstream course Jan. 26 and proceeded to run a close fourth in the track’s Grade 3 Here comes the bride in February. She then was seven thin the $100,000 Sanibel Island in her most recent start March 28.

“She’s a nice horse,” Casse said. “She had traffic trouble in the Here comes the bride, and the last race, the Sanibel Island, I just thought she was flat. It was one of the reasons why I brought her home.”

Jaramillo has the mount on Lucky Polly, a Lookin At Lucky half-sister to two stakes winners.