Solo Album jetting to victory in the Selene at Woodbine. (Michael Burns Photo)
Fev Rover to G1 Beverly D.
Saratoga Race Course Notes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Gary Barber and Steven Rocco’s graded-stakes winner Solo Album worked five-eighths in 1:01.33 Wednesday over the Spa main track.
The sophomore daughter of Curlin has made her last two starts traveling 1 1/16-miles over Tapeta at Woodbine Racetrack, graduating in May against elders and following last out with a 6 1/4-length score in the Grade 3 Selene against fellow sophomore fillies.
Casse said he would like to try the $535,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase in the 10-furlong Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama presented by Keeneland Sales on August 19 with the Grade 2, $200,000 Lake Placid, a 1 1/16-mile turf test on the same card, as a back-up plan.
“She went OK today,” Casse said. “We were thinking maybe the Alabama if she liked the dirt. She would like the mile and a quarter – they can’t write them far enough for her, but she’s going to need to show me more than she did today. If not, maybe the Lake Placid.”
Casse, a member of both the U.S. and Canadian Racing Halls of Fame, enjoyed a tremendous Sunday at Woodbine Racetrack, taking the Woodbine Oaks with Elysian Field and the Plate Trial with Paramount Prince.
Both horses – along with multiple stakes-placed Stayhonor Goodside – are expected to make their next start in the $1 million King’s Plate, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown slated for August 20 at Woodbine.
Casse will be well represented on Hall of Fame Weekend here with a pair of graded-stakes winning sophomores in D. J. Stable’s Webslinger in the Grade 1, $600,000 Saratoga Derby on August 5 and D. J. Stable, Medallion Racing, Barry Fowler and Parkland Thoroughbreds’ Papilio in the Grade 3, $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational, second leg of the Fasig-Tipton Fillies Turf Triple series.
Webslinger, a Constitution gelding, sports a ledger of 10-4-2-1 for purse earnings of $905,320. He nosed out Far Bridge to win the Grade 2 American Turf in May at Churchill Downs ahead of a 1 1/4-length score in the nine-furlong Audubon in June over the same course. Last out, Webslinger rallied from last-of-11 to finish a close fourth in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational won by Far Bridge.
Papilio, an Irish-bred daughter of Starspangledbanner, captured the one-mile Grade 2 Appalachian in April at Keeneland. She was a troubled second two starts later in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Regret at Churchill Downs ahead of a closing third last out in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational after stumbling at the start.
Casse said Tracy Farmer’s Fev Rover will target the Grade 1 Beverly D. on August 12 at Colonial Downs.
The 5-year-old Gutaifan mare, a Group 2-winner in France as a juvenile, has captured a pair of graded events at Woodbine, taking the Grade 2 Canadian last year and the Grade 2 Nassau in July. She was a game third last out in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Diana on July 15 here, racing on two week’s rest. With Javier Castellano up, Fev Rover saved ground just off the pace of In Italian and on the far turn was to the inside of an onrushing Whitebeam, who was piloted by Flavien Prat. Whitebeam outdueled in Italian for a game nose win, while Fev Rover angled out late to finish a half-length back in third.
“Flavien not only won the race, but he did what he was supposed to do and kept us pinned in,” Casse said. “She got out and she came running into what was really a slow pace, so I thought her race was tremendous. Fev Rover is a serious horse.
“All three of them – to me – in any category, I’d keep my three,” added Casse of the aforementioned turf stars. “Webslinger is as good as any 3-year-old there is on the turf. Papilio is as good as any 3-year-old filly on the turf and Fev Rover is as good as any older filly on turf.”
Casse also indicated that Strong Quality, a last-out fifth in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino on June 10 at Belmont, will point to the Grade 1 Arlington Million on August 12 at Colonial, while multiple graded stakes-winner Get Smokin is under consideration for the 11-furlong Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green on July 30 here.
