Woodbine's leading trainer Mark Casse sends out a trio of juveniles for the $200,000 Summer Stakes Presented by TVG (Can-IIT) Sept. 14 at the Ontario oval.
Casse trainees Phenomenalmoon, Matador, and My Conquestadory go out uncoupled in a field of 10 2-year-olds for the one-mile grass event. As part of the Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge Series, the Summer Stakes winner will be awarded an automatic berth and travel expenses for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Park.
The Summer Stakes is scheduled as race 9 on the 10-race card with an approximate post time of 4:53 p.m. EDT.
John Oxley's colt Phenomenalmoon is one of the most experienced in the field with three starts under his girth and comes in off a seven-furlong maiden score over Woodbine's all-weather track. Casse sends out the dark bay Malibu Moon colt from post 8 and Gary Boulanger has the mount.
Also entered for the Oxley-Casse connections is Ontario-bred Matador, another son of Malibu Moon who finished fourth in his only outing, a six-furlong dash at Woodbine. Breaking from post 7, Matador will be ridden by current leading jockey at Woodbine, Luis Contreras.
One of two fillies in the field is the Casse-trained My Conquestadory, who will be making her first start. The daughter of turf specialist Artie Schiller produced two bullet works last month: a five-furlong breeze over Woodbine's turf training course Aug. 21 in 1:00 4/5 and a three-furlong breeze from the gate over the all-weather main track in :36 1/5 Aug. 28, the fastest of 13. Eurico Da Silva rides the dark bay filly who will break from post 3.
My Conquestadory is also entered in the Natalma Stakes for 2-year-old fillies earlier on the Woodbine card.
Sire Artie Schiller is represented by two other starters in the Summer Stakes with colt Tropic of Artie and filly Spanish Flower. Jim and Susan Hill's Tropic of Artie finished fifth in his debut in the Colin Stakes July 2 over Woodbine's main track and comes in off a runner-up finish in his second start, a seven-furlong maiden special weight Aug. 24. The Brian Lynch trainee will break from the 2 hole with Patrick Husbands in the irons.
Maiden filly Spanish Flower enters the Summer Stakes off a second-place finish in her debut, a seven-furlong maiden special weight Aug. 17 at the Ontario track. She has been cross-entered in the Natalma Stakes (Can-IIT) as well. If she starts in the Summer Stakes, Spanish Flower will break from the rail with Rajiv Maragh. She is trained by Mark Frostad.
Maiden winners School On a Hill, Grom, and Asserting Bear, and maidens Go Bro and Swynford Stakes runner-up Dig Alittle Deeper round out the field.
$200,000 (Plus $40,000 - State-Bred) Summer Stakes Presented by TVG (gr. IIT, Race 9, approximate post time 4:53 p.m. EDT) 2YOs, 1 mile (turf)
PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Spanish Flower (KY), R Maragh, 122, M R Frostad
2. Tropic of Artie (PA), P Husbands, 122, B A Lynch
3. My Conquestadory (KY), E R Da Silva, 119, M E Casse
4. Go Bro (ON), T Pizarro, 122, M Keogh
5. Dig Alittle Deeper (KY), J M Campbell, 122, N Gonzalez
6. School On a Hill (KY), E Wilson, 122, W M Catalano
7. Matador (ON), L Contreras, 122, M E Casse
8. Phenomenalmoon (KY), G Boulanger, 122, M E Casse
9. Grom (ON), O Moreno, 119, R Gerl
10. Asserting Bear (ON), J McAleney, 122, R Baker