One year after saddling Gary Barber and Stoneway Farm's Spring Venture to victory in the 2012 Natalma Stakes (Can-II), trainer Mark Casse has entered four fillies in the one-mile turf race for juvenile fillies Sept. 14 at Woodbine.
Casse has saddled two straight Natalma winners and has won the Woodbine race four times since 2006. His other winners include Northern Passion, Clearly Foxy, and Sprung. This year he has entered Conquest Stables' My Conquestadory and John Oxley's duo of Appreciating and Madly Truly.
Appreciating enters off a clear victory in an Aug. 23 maiden special weight race at Woodbine contested at seven furlongs on the turf. The Sky Mesa filly rallied from tenth to win that race and winning jockey Gary Boulanger will be back aboard in the Natalma.
Madly Truly secured her maiden win in her second career start when she drew off to a 4 1/4-length score in a six-furlong maiden special weight race July 20 on the Woodbine Polytrack. The Malibu Moon filly enters the Natalma off a third-place finish in the Ontario Debutante Stakes Aug. 10 at Woodbine, also at six furlongs on the Polytrack.
My Conquestadory, a daughter of Artie Schiller , will make her career debut in either the Natalma or in the Summer Stakes presented by TVG (Can-II) against juvenile males later in the day at Woodbine. She is entered in both.
Casse also has entered Spring Likeacobra, who like last year's winner is by Spring At Last. Spring Likeacobra enters off a victory in an Aug. 3, six-furlong turf race at Woodbine.
The Natalma, which attracted a field of 10, is a Breeders' Cup Challenge series race, affording the winner a spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. I) with a paid entry fee and travel expenses.
Ontario Debutante winner Skylander Girl makes her turf debut for trainer/owner Alexander Patykewich. Todd Kabel rides the daughter of Stroll.
$200,000 Natalma Stakes (Can-II, race 7, approximate post time 3:49 p.m. EDT) 2yo, fillies, One mile, Turf
PP, Horse, Jockey, Trainer
1. Ready to Act (KY), R. Maragh, C. Brown
2. My Conquestadory (KY), E. Da Silva, M. Casse
3. Skylander Girl (ON), T. Kabel, A. Patykewich
4. Spring Likeacobra (KY), L. Contreras, M. Casse
5. Unspurned (ON), J. Stein, R. Attfield
6. Appreciating (KY), G. Boulanger, M. Casse
7. Llanarmon (ON), E. Wilson, R. Attfield
8. Madly Truly (KY), P. Husbands, M. Casse
9. Spanish Flower (KY), S. Bahen, M. Frostad
10. Henry's Island (ON), J. Campbell, M. Doyle
All assigned 119 pounds.