Casse loaded heading into fall

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Leading trainer Mark Casse has been red-hot at Woodbine, and he will be well represented in stakes here in the coming weeks and at the Breeders’ Cup in November at Keeneland.

Casse has a host of Breeders’ Cup runners coming out of Woodbine, most notably Gretzky the Great for the Juvenile Turf, March to the Arch for the Mile, and War of Will for the Dirt Mile.

A new acquisition, Dirty Dangle, is headed for the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint. The daughter of leading freshman sire Not This Time has won both of her starts for trainer Ralph Biamonte, including the five-furlong Woodbine Cares Stakes on Sept. 19, after which she was sold to Eclipse Thoroughbred

Partners and Gary Barber.

“I was impressed by the way she finished the other day,” Casse said.

Casse’s most impressive 2-year-old filly to race at the meet is Live Oak Plantation’s Souper Sensational, who won her debut in a professional manner in a seven-furlong maiden special. Casse said the $725,000 yearling purchase by Curlin will run back in the $100,000 Glorious Song Stakes going seven furlongs here Oct. 17.

“She’s a beautiful filly,” Casse said. “She started her training at Live Oak, and we had her at our training center for a while. She showed she was something special then.”

Like Souper Sensational, Helium got a 76 Beyer Speed Figure landing his sevenfurlong opener on Sept. 27. The son of Ironicus is headed to the $100,000 Display Stakes going seven-eighths here Oct. 18.

“He was a little bit of a surprise,” Casse said. “He hadn’t trained like she had. He’s a great-moving horse. We bought him privately early in the year for D.J. Stable, Len and Jon Green. They’re new clients of ours.”

D.J. Stable also owns Proven Strategies and the pricey Dolder Grand, who finished third behind Gretzky the Great in the Grade 1 Summer and also is aiming for the BC Juvenile Turf.

Proven Strategies was a sharp front-running winner of last Saturday’s $100,400 Toronto Cup Stakes. Casse was unsure of plans for the 3-year-old, but he mentioned the Sunshine Millions at Gulfstream in January as a goal for the Floridabred.

“Right now, we’re leaning towards giving him a break to get him ready for the Sunshine Millions,” Casse said.

Casse said Olympic Runner, who finished fourth behind Starship Jubilee, March to the Arch, and War of Will in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, will probably run back in the Grade 2 Nearctic here Oct. 18.

“I thought his race in the Woodbine Mile was very good,” Casse said. “He was very nervous, but he’s matured some. We gelded him. He’s run some big races.”

Not So Quiet won his first turf start in last Sunday’s $150,800 Vice Regent Stakes. The Silent Name 5-year-old is eligible for a longer Ontario-sired inner turf stakes on Oct. 31, the $100,000 Overskate.

“We thought he would like the grass,” Casse said.