He’s an American, but coach Mark Casse will bring a Canadian touch to the Breeders ’Cup
Five of the six horses that Casse will race at Keeneland have ties to Canada Gretzky the Great is the only Canadian-bred, but fillies Dirty Dangle and Got Stormy, as well as March to the Arch and War of Will, all have raced at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto
Spanish Loveaffair, a two-year-old filly, is the only one of the six to have never raced in Canada
« I have now been running at Woodbine for 25 years and I’m very proud of it, » Casse said in a phone interview. « I also feel like this is a responsibility (representing Canada on board) and I take it very seriously
At least Casse and his wife Tina will be able to watch their horses this weekend after both testing negative for COVID-19
Gretzky the Great has finished in silver in all four races this year (three wins, second) The two-year-old comes off a solid victory with Kazushi Kimura on board in the Grade 1 $ 250,000 Summer Stakes, a Sept 20 mile long turf race at Woodbine
American Tyler Gaffalione will ride Junkyard horses, including Gretzky the Great, in Friday’s $ 1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf That’s because quarantine restrictions on both sides of the border mean it is very difficult for Woodbine based jockeys to get to Lexington, Ky
« Gretzky the Great did everything right, he did everything right », said Casse. « He’s a big and beautiful horse, he’s a beautiful horse in motion
« We’re going to go from a mile of a turn to a mile of two turns (at Keeneland) and I think that’s actually to his advantage He has a lot of speed and normally two laps helps the horses more fast «
Gretzky the Great, an 8-1 top pick, will be one of 14 horses on the field and will escape No 11 posts
“We had a bit of bad luck on the draw (but) it’s not that great,” said Casse “There are a lot of challenges (with a big field)
« Other than maybe the Europeans these horses have never faced this type of terrain. Now for us as long as we break well I think we have enough speed to probably be placed ahead in the race, so peloton size shouldn’t become such a big issue »
The horse was named after hockey legend Wayne Gretzky by owner Gary Barber, film producer and former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio manager Gretzky, of course, spent time in the South California with the MOON kings
« Gary is a big, big sports fan, » Casse said. « I hope one day (Gretzky the Great) will be good enough for Wayne to come see him
« There’s got to happen a lot first, but if Gretzky the Great stays in the winner’s circle long enough, he might get his full circle moment »
Also on Friday, Dirty Dangle will compete in the $ 1 million Juvenile Turf sprint, a 5 1/2 furlong race. The 20-1 top pick will break away from the No 12 positions in the 14 horse field for girls of two years having won his two previous starts this year at Woodbine
The rest of the Junkyard horses will race on Saturday, as will Starship Jubilee The seven-year-old champion mare and reigning Canadian Horse of the Year won last month the $ 1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile, leading the ‘a peloton that included second place March at l’Arche and third place War of Will, the ’19 Preakness winner
March to the Arch to be in the $ 2 Million Breeders’ Cup Mile Early pick 15-1 drew no 8 positions in 14 horse field
War of Will has entered the million dollar mile of dirt At the start of the odds of 10-1 he will escape from the No 4 poles into the 12 horse realm
War of Will has five wins in 17 career starts, but has a second and two-thirds to show for its three Woodbine races
“He’s okay,” Casse said of War of Will “Looking back now, the first time I ran him at Woodbine – he ran his first race there – I thought there was no way to get beaten and he was a bad third
« I was so disappointed Then it came back and ran well (second in Summer Stakes Grade 1) but got beaten I brought it back (for Woodbine Mile) and tried it again, so maybe (Woodbine) just isn’t for him «
Casse’s best entry appears to be Got Stormy, the top 7/2 favorite in the $ 1 million turf sprint Got Stormy drew no 12 poles in the 14 horse realm
« I feel like all the horses we race won’t shock me if they win, » Casse said. « If you say, ‘Pick one’ it would probably be Got Stormy, but she needs a good trip
« When you run 5 1/2 furlongs on grass you better not have any straw in your path because if you do you get beaten But Got Stormy has such a quick turn as when you ask her to go, when you press the accelerator pedal, she takes off, which sometimes helps her not to have problems »
And while 2020 was unlike anything Casse has known in his illustrious racing career, that wouldn’t make a Breeders ’Cup win this weekend any more special
“Winning is always winning”, he said “If I said yes I would be lying because winning the Breeders’ Cup anytime is so huge and meaningful
« I’ve always said training a horse is like putting a puzzle together, you keep trying the pieces This year we put together a puzzle without any pictures or borders It’s a tall order «
A collision on Highway 39 at the intersection of Range Road 52 resulted in the deaths of two men
Wayne Gretzky, Horse Racing, Mark E Casse, The Kentucky Derby, Keeneland Association Inc, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
News from around the world – CA – The Coaching Contingent Mark Casse’s Breeders’ Cup has a definite Canadian flavor – Red Deer Advocate
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
