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Yahoo
2 days ago
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Mark Casse-Trained Quintet Seek Classic Glory In Woodbine Oaks
Mark Casse-Trained Quintet Seek Classic Glory In Woodbine Oaks originally appeared on Paulick Report. Twelve fillies, including five Mark Casse trainees, will vie for top prize in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks Presented by Stella Artois, one of four stakes on Sunday's 10-race card at Woodbine. Inaugurated in 1956, the filly classic, for Canadian-foaled 3-year-old fillies carrying 121 pounds over 1 ⅛ miles on the main track, will go postward at 5:20 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast live, along with the Plate Trial, on Sportsnet One from 4:30-5:30 p.m. ET. The winning connections will receive $300,000. Sunday's card also features the $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes, a key race ahead of The King's Plate (Aug. 16), the $200,000 Canadian Stakes Presented by Japan Racing Association (G2T), and the $175,000 bet365 Connaught Cup (G2T).Dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse will send out the quintet of Ella It Is, No Time, Shifty, War Signal, and It Is, 2-2-0 from eight starts ($86,298 in purse earnings), will make her fifth career stakes appearance when she goes postward on Sunday. The daughter of Point of Entry out of the Silent Name (JPN) mare Our Ella finished second in both the Victorian Queen and South Ocean last year, and was seventh, albeit just 3 ½ lengths behind the winner, in the 2024 running of the Princess Elizabeth It Is debuted last July and finished seventh but rebounded with a smart two-length score in a 6 ½-furlong main track race, also at the Toronto oval, that was originally scheduled for the bay, who notched a sharp 3 ¾-length win at 1 1/16 miles on the Woodbine main track on June 1, heads into the Oaks off a seventh in the Selene Stakes (G3) on June 28.'She has shown she can run well,' said Casse. 'She has to step up her game now. This will be a test for her. She is really only one of my fillies in this race who can settle.'René and Darlene Hunderup (Heste Sport Inc.) bred and own Ella It Is. Working out of their home base, Norse Ridge Farms, in King, Ontario, northeast of Woodbine, the couple has enjoyed great success over the years as breeders and owners of Thoroughbreds and Quarter Parris is the groom. No Time, a daughter of Not This Time out of the Red Ransom mare Count to Three, arrives at the Oaks off a fourth in the Selene (G3).One race prior, on June 1 at Woodbine, the dark bay ran unfettered on the lead as the 5-2 choice in a 1 1/16-mile main track race and crossed the wire four lengths clear of her nearest rival in 1:44.24.'I think No Time is a sleeper,' said Casse, of the filly who has amassed $105,473 in purse earnings. 'I think she has a very good pedigree – both her and Shifty have very nice pedigrees. She is not easy to ride. She is another one that if she is happy, she is going to be tough. Johnny Velazquez is going to ride her for us.'Steadied sharply in her career bow last August when she was eighth, No Time won next time out in a 1 1/16-mile turf race on September brings a record of 2-0-1 from seven starts into her fourth stakes (fourth, elevated to third, in the Cup & Saucer, eighth in the Mazarine (G3), both last year) by James Everatt, Janeane Everatt, and Arika Everatt-Meeuse, No Time was a $250,000 purchase at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Select Yearling Parris is the groom. Shifty, owned by D.J. Stable LLC, debuted on the E.P. Taylor on July 4, 2024, and showed late energy to finish fifth in a field of seven after breaking seven career starts, she sports a 2-0-2 mark ($152,037 in purse earnings), highlighted by an impressive 3 ¼-length win in the 2024 Catch A Glimpse Stakes. Sent off at 11-1, the bay filly drew off with authority to secure her first stakes winning her 3-year-old debut on May 11, Shifty was third in the seven-furlong Fury Stakes, for 3-year-old fillies foaled in Canada, on June 7.'Shifty is probably the most talented [of the group],' said Casse. 'She has her quirks. If she can settle and get into a good rhythm, she will be tough. She's very talented.'By Medaglia d'Oro out of the Elusive Quality mare Elusive Luci, Shifty was bred by Anderson Farm Ontario Inc. and sold for $350,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky sale. Bred and owned by Gary Barber, War Signal is 2-0-1 from six starts, accompanied by $98,527 in purse earnings. Fourth in her debut last May, she finished third in the Shady Well Stakes on November broke her maiden in her third start, a dominant 4 ¼-length victory at one mile and 70 yards over the Woodbine main track on December Signal made it two straight winner's circle trips when she posted a 2 ¼-length victory in her 3-year-old debut. Sent on her way as the 6-5 choice, she covered 1 mile and 70 yards over the Gulfstream all-weather surface in 1: bay was seventh in the seven-furlong Ruling Angel Stakes on May 1 at Woodbine and sixth, just two lengths behind the winner Mansetti, when she took on the boys in the 1 1/16-mile Marine Stakes (G3) on June 28.'She ran well in the Marine,' said Casse. 'It was against colts, and I thought she hung in there. She is a horse who I would have said this winter was our best chance to win the Oaks. She disappointed me a little bit in the Ruling Angel, but her race in the Marine was pretty good. She is another one who likes to be up close to the lead.' After a fifth in the Star Shoot Stakes on April 26 to start her sophomore season, Winterberry was back on the winning track courtesy of a strong showing in the had a winning debut last August, a 5 ½-length victory at 6 ½ furlongs over the Woodbine main track. Next time out, she was sixth in the G1 Summer, at 1 mile on the E.P. Taylor dark bay rebounded with a three-quarter length score in the seven-furlong Glorious Song Stakes on October 13 and closed out her rookie campaign with a fifth in the six-furlong Shady Well Stakes on November a daughter of Frosted out of the Bellamy Road mare Dreams Are Free, brings a record of 3-0-0 from six starts into the Oaks.'She is interesting in that we thought all along that she was a sprinter,' said Casse, of the filly with $168,030 in purse earnings. 'But she has really matured. She was scratched twice before she ever ran because of her antics. I talked to Patrick (jockey, Husbands) the other day after he worked her, and he told me that she is a different horse. I know that he is excited about her running.'Winterberry may keep going. She is coming into the Oaks better than ever. I am still not 100 percent sure she can get the mile and an eighth, but she is very talented.'Bred in Ontario by Anderson Farms Ont. Inc., Winterberry was a $210,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland Association September Yearling 'Billy' Forde is the groom. Casse has won the Oaks on four occasions, one shy of the record held by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Jim Day.'With all our fillies, the question is the mile and an eighth,' said Casse, whose latest victory in the race came in 2023 with Elysian Field. 'It's going to be how they settle early. If any of them settle, they are going to run well – they are going to be tough.'Every rider is going to do their own thing. I am not giving any instructions. I think the break is going to be very important, and how each rider can get their horse to settle going into the first turn.'Aristella, last year's Princess Elizabeth Stakes winner, stakes placed Crystal Visions, maiden D'aurum, Innisfree Isle, who broke her maiden last time out, multiple stakes placed Nata Trouble, R Canadian Apple, third in her debut, and Reveler's Row, a first-time out winner, round out the field. The Woodbine Oaks is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, which continues at the Toronto oval with the 1 1/16-mile, $250,000 Bison City Stakes on August 9 and concludes with the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes at 1 1/16 miles over the Woodbine inner turf on September 6. First post for Sunday is 1:05 p.m. The wagering menu for the Woodbine Oaks includes Rolling Double, Exacta, 0.20 Trifecta, 0.20 Superfecta, and $1 Swinger. Fans can wager on all the action through and There will be free Woodbine Oaks programs for the first 500 guests on Sunday (one per person). War Signal – Sofia Vives – Mark Casse Nata Trouble – David Moran – Willie Armata Ella It Is – Jose Campos – Mark Casse Innisfree Isle – Fraser Aebly – Catherine Day Phillips Shifty – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse R Canadian Apple – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mike De Paulo Reveler's Row – Pietro Moran – Katerina Vassilieva No Time – John Velazquez – Mark Casse Crystal Visions – Ryan Munger – Stuart Simon Aristella – Rafael Hernandez – Rachel Halden Winterberry – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse D'aurum – Daisuke Fukumoto – Kevin Attard This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Casson Leads In Trifecta For Mark Casse In Woodbine's Victoria
Casson Leads In Trifecta For Mark Casse In Woodbine's Victoria originally appeared on Paulick Report. Casson, under Rafael Hernandez, bested stablemates Jupiter and Rude Procedure and led in a 1-2-3 finish for trainer Mark Casse in the $125,000 Victoria Stakes (L) on Saturday afternoon at Woodbine. Advertisement Earlier in the week, assistant trainer Kathryn Sullivan wondered what it would be like to see the Casse trio, all debut winners, go up against one another in their first stakes appearance. Sullivan was undoubtedly pleased with the result in the 5½-furlong main track engagement for 2-year-olds. Rude Procedure and first-time starter Valley of Kings vied for the lead steps out of the gate, but it was Casson, off a step slowly, who would seize control strides before the opening quarter in :22.79. The roan colt continued to lead the way and widened his advantage over Rude Procedure. Hernandez called upon a confident Casson into the turn for home as the duo looked to separate themselves from their pursuers, while Jupiter split foes, looking to track down the free-wheeling frontrunner. Advertisement Ahead by three at the stretch call, Casson glided to the wire a 2 ½-length victor. Jupiter was second, 2¾ lengths ahead of Rude Procedure. Fistfulofmoney was fourth and Valley of Kings was fifth. The final time was 1:04.31. 'He broke a little slow,' said Hernandez. 'He was outside, so he broke a little bit out, and when I tapped him in the shoulder, he started picking up. So, I let him cruise. 'My horse was just kind of waiting for me to start moving there to give me a second gear. I had total confidence.' It was the second straight superlative showing from Casson, who is named after A. J. Casson, a member of the famed Canadian group of artists known as the Group of Seven. Advertisement A son of Caravaggio out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Zee Ro Drop, Casson turned heads after a dazzling debut win on May 11 at Woodbine. Sent on his way as the 3-5 choice, he was in command at every call in the 4 ½-furlong main track maiden special weight sprint, crossing the wire a four-length winner in :52.69. Owned by Manfred and Penny Conrad, and bred by Ballycroy Training Centre & Villa Rosa Farms, Casson was purchased for $200,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was presented by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa. He returned $9.20 for the Victoria win. This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Jul 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Gulfstream: Mandatory Rainbow 6 Payout Set For Sunday
Gulfstream: Mandatory Rainbow 6 Payout Set For Sunday originally appeared on Paulick Report. A mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be held Sunday at Gulfstream Park. The popular multi-race wager went unsolved Saturday for the seventh racing day following a mandatory payout that yielded multiple $47,670 payoffs, leaving a carryover pool of $112,838 heading into Sunday's Rainbow 6 wagering. Advertisement Nicoletti, Nadeau Handicap Rainbow 6 Sunday's Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 5-10, kicked off by a non-winners-of-2-lifetime $8,000 claimer for fillies and mares in Race 5. Kathleeen O'Connell-trained Sky Baby drops in class after holding her own against better. Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Fully Entitled also drops in class and cuts back from a mile to six furlongs after returning from a long layoff to finish a tiring second. A seemingly wide-open optional claiming allowance for Florida-breds going 7½ furlongs on turf figures to challenge Rainbow 6 bettors in Race 6. Mark Casse-trained Bluff, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, drops out of a stakes after winning his 2025 debut at Tampa Bay Downs. In Race 7, a 5½-furlong $12,500 maiden claimer for fillies and mares on Tapeta, Jose D'Angelo-trained Bubbles Up would be expected to benefit from her recent return from a layoff in which she faded late against much better. R Wins Aren't Luck drops back to the level where she finished second back-to-back for red-hot trainer Carlos David. Advertisement Joseph-trained Bellavinino looms as a solid favorite in Race 8, a mile starter allowance for 3-year-old fillies on turf. The daughter of Get Stormy drops from back-to-back stakes appearances following a victory at Sunday's level of competition. David Fawkes-trained We See You looks to rebound from subpar showing in the Martha Washington that followed back-to-back victories. Lookin for Roses figures to receive considerable support from Rainbow 6 bettors while making his first start off the claim-back by Joseph in Race 9, a 1 1/16-mile $8000 claiming races for 3- and 4-year-olds on Tapeta. D'Angelo-trained Emmett drops in for a tag off even efforts against better. Irideo, who entertained Grade 1 and 2 rivals in Southern California last year, makes his 2025 debut for trainer Amador Sanchez in Race 10, a mile $35,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds and up on turf that drew a deep field of 10. Jose Gallegos-trained Battle Call is well-placed on the rail to save ground after a pair of solid in-the-money efforts that followed troubled starts. D'Angelo-trained came up just short in his turf debut and is expected to make a serious bid to go all the way Sunday. Joseph-trained Positive Review is a steady-going horse who could wake up with Sunday's drop in class. The Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool usually goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool. On mandatory-payout days, the entire Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is paid out to the bettor or bettors with the most winners in the wager's six-race sequence. This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Delight for Travis Kelce as his Taylor Swift-named racehorse seals another huge win
NFL star Travis Kelce won big for the first time as owner of racehorse Swift Delivery at the weekend. The Kansas City Chiefs star bought a stake in the four-year-old last August, in partnership with owners Gary Barber, Team Valor International, Bruce Zoldan, and Steven Rocco. And Swift Delivery, trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, clinched the third victory of its career - the first since Kelce came onboard - at Woodbine on Sunday. The gelding swept to a two-length score in a second-level allowance contest at the Toronto track. Kelce joined the ownership last summer just ahead of Swift Delivery's debut in the Toronto Cup, where he finished second. After the news broke, many fans quickly joined the dots between the horse and the tight end's girlfriend Taylor Swift. Swift Delivery wins for Team Valor and partners at Woodbine overnight. That makes it 9 wins from the last 17 starters for the stable. 🎉🔥 Be a part of the Team Valor world. DM us to be added to our list or visit the website. "We win races others dream of" — Team Valor (@TeamValor) June 23, 2025 Many speculated over whether the horse was actually named after the popstar, and Kelce addressed the rumors during an episode of his New Heights podcast in September. 'I bought a horse, man! How about that? Old "Swift Delivery",' he said to brother Jason, before being asked if the name prompted the interest. 'You know when the stars align?,' Travis continued. 'It just feels good to jump on board.' The NFL superstar was then asked how the purchase unfolded, with Kelce never having previously been involved in the world of horse-racing. 'You have really good friends that are good people, that are into horse racing,' he explained. 'Bruce and Alex Zoldan. I've known Alex for around 10 years plus now, since I've been in the league, fellow Ohio-an. They're an awesome family. 'I've had so much fun going to events with them, and sure enough they were at the Super Bowl, they invited me to the [Kentucky] Derby this year, and I was just like, "man it'd be fun to get involved and see one of your horses in a race, that seems like it'd be a fun thing to be a part of." They had a horse that won [the Derby] in the early 2000s, called Magic Kingdom. 'They asked me if I wanted to jump in on a three-year-old they had, and the name made sense to team up with this one, it being "Swift Delivery". 'What's cool is, it's a different style of horse, some make a fast start and try and lead the pack, and then the others are the finishers, the ones that come around the last turn or the last two turns...'I just got on board because it was fun and I could team up with some good friends of mine. I like the ran Swift Delivery ran, it's more of a finishing horse, hits its top speed [at the end] and saves its juice.'
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
May Day Ready To Try For Grade 1 Breakthrough In Belmont Oaks Invitational
May Day Ready To Try For Grade 1 Breakthrough In Belmont Oaks Invitational originally appeared on Paulick Report. KatieRich Stables' recent Wonder Again (G3) third-place finisher May Day Ready is aimed for the Grade 1, $500,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational, a nine-furlong turf test for sophomore fillies, on Saturday July 5 during the July 4 Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course. Trained by Joe Lee, the Tapit bay has already earned over $1 million through a 6-3-1-1 record. As a 2-year-old, she graduated on debut at the Spa, then won the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies (L) at its namesake oval, the Grade 2 Jessamine at Keeneland, before finishing second in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November at Del Mar. To cap her past campaign, May Day Ready finished off-the-board overseas in the Group 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies at Kyoto Racecourse in Japan. She returned from the layoff in the off-the-turf Wonder Again on June 7 at Saratoga, where she finished behind two Hall of Famer Mark Casse-trained rivals, including the victorious multiple graded stakes winner Nitrogen, in the field scratched down to three. 'I'm really happy with how she's doing. Off the turf wasn't ideal, but the owners wanted to take a shot and get a race in her,' said Lee. 'If we already had a race in her, we could've scratched, but the goal was the Belmont Oaks, and we wanted to have something going into it, opposed to straight off about seven months then.' May Day Ready is already established as a classy filly and Lee believes she can continue to improve. 'She's definitely filled out. She is not a big, imposing type of horse, but she never was,' Lee said. 'She is doing everything right, is really sound, great attitude, and she eats well– all indications that she'll hopefully improve from age two to three. That is always a question mark with fillies, but with her attitude, I'm hoping she does.' May Day Ready, bred in Kentucky by White Birch Farm out of the Group 3-winning More Than Ready mare Nemoralia, was a $325,000 purchase at the 2024 OBS Spring Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Lee added that KatieRich Stables, Christopher Connors, and Lawrence Appel's New York-homebred Works for Me may wait for the $150,000 Harvey Pack (L) on July 4 at Saratoga rather than contest Saturday's state-bred $125,000 Ashley T. Cole at Belmont at the Big A, which takes entries Sunday. 'We're leaning towards the Harvey Pack just to give him a little more time in between races, the timing just seems better to wait that extra week,' Lee said Saturday. The 4-year-old Daddy Long Legs chestnut earned a game open optional claiming victory last out sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on June 6 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at the Spa – the course and distance of the Harvey Pack. This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Jun 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
