Woodbine’s leading trainer Mark Casse picked up his first Breeders’ Cup win when Catch a Glimpse captured the Grade 1 Juvenile Fillies Turf on opening day Friday of the 32nd Breeders’ Cup World Championships, at Keeneland Race Course, in Lexington, Kentucky.
Mark Casse, a seven-time Sovereign Award winner as Canada’s outstanding trainer, won his first Breeders’ Cup event with his 26th starter as Catch a Glimpse, co-owned by Canadians Windways Farm (Jeff Begg) & Mike Ambler along with U.S-based film producer Gary Barber, bested a field of 14.
In 2014, Casse and Barber teamed up to win The Queen’s Plate with filly Lexie Lou, who went on to earn Horse of the Year honours.
“We won our first Queen’s Plate together and now we’ve won our first Breeders’ Cup,” said Casse of his relationship with the movie magnate and horse owner.
The first Breeders’ Cup score meant a lot to Casse who is a fixture at the top of the Woodbine trainer standings having topped the tables nine times including the last eight seasons in a row.
“It feels good. It feels really good,” said Casse. “When this is all you’ve ever done for your entire life…this is my entire life. This is important.”
The Woodbine-based filly, piloted by Florent Geroux, arrived at the Juvenile Fillies Turf from a five-length score in the Grade 2 Natalma Stakes, a Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re in event held at Woodbine on September 12.
Sent to post at odds of 6-1 in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, the prominent Catch a Glimpse was pressured into the first turn by Ruby Notion as Geroux decided to take back and conserve energy on the City Zip chestnut.
Catch a Glimpse stalked patiently down the back straight of the one-mile test before making a winning move late in the final turn keeping just enough in reserve to hold off the 5-2 mutuel favourite Alice Springs.
“It looked like the five-horse (Ruby Notion) was very quick, but I didn’t want to burn out my filly,” said Geroux. “So I took my position and when it was time I took a hold of her and let her relax.
“When I asked her to go, she just flew home.”
Casse wasn’t surprised by the winning effort from the filly who graduated at second asking over Woodbine’s E.P. Taylor Turf Course on August 22 ahead of her Natalma triumph.
“I was just concerned about Wesley Ward’s filly (Ruby Notion) outside of us going into the first turn,” said Casse. “I keep telling everybody and nobody will listen, they don’t realize how good she is.”
Despite that confidence, Casse admitted to a few nervous moments late in the lane.
“I always have doubt. I was doing some yelling,” laughed Casse.
Gliding By, a maiden winner at Woodbine, finished 12th in the Juvenile Fillies Turf after an even trip.
Casse entered the Breeders’ Cup with a pair of second-place efforts from 23 starts at the year-end championships and nearly brought the streak to an end in the Grade 1 $1-million Juvenile Turf, the first of 13 Breeders’ Cup races slated over the two-day affair, as his 5-2 mutuel favourite Airoforce finished a solid second to European raider Hit It a Bomb.
He also sent out Conquest Daddyo who finished a closing fourth. Hit It a Bomb was ridden by Ryan Moore, who captured the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor with Curvy and the Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International with Cannock Chase at Woodbine earlier this month.
Airoforce, a grey son of Colonel John owned by John Oxley, arrived at the Juvenile Turf from a 2 ½-length score in the Grade 3 Bourbon Stakes while Ontario-bred Conquest Daddyo punched his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup with a victory in the Win and You’re In Grade 2 Summer Stakes, at Woodbine.
Sky Marshal, based at Woodbine for trainer and co-owner Barb Minshall, finished 14th in the Juvenile Turf.
Liam’s Map rallied to an odds-on score in the Grade 1 $1-million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile getting the better of Lea, runner-up to Mondialiste in the Grade 1 Ricoh Woodbine Mile in September.
Stopchargingmaria, trained by Todd Pletcher for Town and Country Farms LLC, captured the featured Grade 1 $2-million Filly and Mare Distaff, prevailing in a furious stretch duel with Stellar Wind that required a lengthy inquiry.
Got Lucky, Canadian-owned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings, finished well back.
The Breeders’ Cup continues Saturday with nine races including the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic featuring Triple Crown champion American Pharoah. TSN2 will have live coverage from 1pm-6pm. Live racing at Woodbine, featuring a 10-race card including the Grade 3 Maple Leaf Stakes, kicks off at a special post time of 12:20 p.m. ET. Racing fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIBet.com.
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