Casual Look Sharp in Churchill Workout

Edited from track reports
William S. Farish's Casual Look, winner of the English classic Epsom Oaks (Eng-I) tuned up for an expected run in Saturday's $150,000-added Mrs. Revere Stakes (gr. IIT) with a sharp half-mile work on the turf at Churchill Downs on Tuesday.

Exercise rider Annie Finney was in the irons aboard the daughter of Red Ransom as she covered the distance around the "dogs" in :48.60. The work was the fastest of seven at the distance over "firm" footing.

"That's pretty sharp," said Howard. "You always hope you didn't do too much, but the way she did it, the way she galloped out, and the way she came back -- she walked off the track with some spring in her step -- I think everything looks good. It'll be a tough race, but she is a group I winner, so that has to stand for something."

Casual Look did most of her running in Europe this season at 1 1/2-miles, but was a late-running third in he U.S. debut in the Queen Elizabeth Challenge Cup (gr. IT) at 1 1/8-miles at Keeneland. Howard expressed some concern about the Mrs. Revere's distance of 1 1/16-miles for the daughter of Red Ransom, but her sharp works in recent weeks have eased that worry somewhat.

"It's kind of an unknown," said Howard. "But in light of the fact that she did shorten up good to a mile and an eighth and she has responded in her training as far as tuning her up and sharpening her up a little bit, I think she'll do well. She's had some nice long works and she's had a couple of sharp halves (half-miles) -- sharp enough that I don't think she'll have a problem getting position and I think that's the whole key here."

Howard said that, regardless of the result of Casual Look's run against fellow 3-year-olds in the Mrs. Revere, Farish plans a U.S. campaign for his filly at four.

"We're going to back off her after this race and give her a little bit of time in South Carolina," Howard said. "Then we'll bring her back toward the nice races -- mile and a quarter, mile and three-eighths type races. Maybe a mile and a sixteenth, who knows?"

Casual Look has a career record of 2-2-3 in 11 races and has earned $597,388.

Several other candidates for Saturday's Mrs. Revere worked over Churchill Downs' Matt Winn Turf Course on Tuesday. That group included Willmott Stable's Aud, who breezed four furlongs in :48.80 under jockey Brian Peck. Morihiro Kameda's Keiai Sakura, winner of the Audubon Oaks at Ellis Park, worked a half-mile in :50.20 for trainer Akiko Gothard. Tiva's Little Sis breezed a half-mile in :50.

WinStar Farm's Dyna Da Wyna breezed five furlongs in :59.80 for trainer Elliott Walden. She worked in company with her older stablemate Peacefally and the two finished on even terms. Walden is also looking at a run against older fillies and mares in the $150,000-added Cardinal (gr. III) on Nov. 22 as a possible next start for Dyna Da Wyna.

Others considered likely for the Mrs. Revere include Courtlandt Farm's Film Maker; Ocean Drive, a multiple turf stakes winner trained by Todd Pletcher; Willmott Stable's Mymich; and California invader Hoh Buzzard. Two other California-based fillies that had been pointed toward the Mrs. Revere -- Valdoura and Fencelineneighbor -- have been taken off a Wednesday plane flight bound for Louisville.