Kaigun hopes to take over Wise Dan’s vacant throne in
Woodbine Mile
Six-time Sovereign Award-winning trainer Mark Casse will send out two
hopefuls in next Sunday’s Grade 1, C$1 million
Woodbine Mile — Kaigun and Lockout.
Surprisingly, he’s never run a horse in the turf classic in its 17 previous
editions. In a year in which he won the
Queen’s Plate for the first time with filly Lexie Lou, after second and
third place finishes in previous years, perhaps he could also add the Mile to
his resume first time out.
Kaigun, co-owned by Gary Barber, Horse’n Around Racing Stable and
Quintessential Racing Florida, likely represents his best chance and will be
well supported at the windows.
Fresh off a hard-charging victory in the seven furlong Play the King, a prep
for the Mile on August 10, the four-year-old gelded son of Northern Afleet-Cruising
Kris has been hooking many of the best turfers in North America in a number of
Grade 1 events at various distances this year. He’s certainly found a home on
the lawn since a ninth place finish in the Queen’s Plate over a year ago,
earning over $500,000 in nine turf runs since.
“I was worried about cutting him back from a mile and three-eighths to
seven-eighths,” explained Casse, about going from the United Nations July 6,
when finishing fifth at Monmouth Park to Woodbine’s Play the King.
“I thought he was very impressive. I think probably he might be a better
miler but it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference. He can do anything. I
don’t know if he’s any better now than he was in the spring (when finishing
second to Wise Dan in the Maker’s 46 Mile at Keeneland) but his last race was
powerful. We gelded him (after winning his turf debut a year ago). That really
helped too.”
Kaigun will be ridden by Patrick Husbands, who won the 2001 Mile aboard
Numerous Times. Co-owner Barber was a co-owner of 2006 Mile victor Becrux.
John Oxley’s Lockout, a five-year-old son of Limehouse, finished second to
Kaigun in the Play the King and has earned almost $400,000 while winning four of
19 starts in a very consistent, if limited, career, while displaying his
versatility on dirt, turf and Polytrack. Gary Boulanger retains the mount.
All told, a talented group of 12 is in the running for the one-turn mile over
the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course, including graded stakes-winning
Saratoga shippers Summer Front, trained by Christophe Clement; Jack Milton,
trained by Todd Pletcher; Bobby’s Kitten, from the barn of Chad Brown; and Group
2 winner Trade Storm, third in the 2013 Mile, who arrives from England for
trainer David Simcock.
Last year’s winner, the two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan, successfully
defended his 2012 Woodbine Mile title with a swift score in track record time of
1:31.75 with John Velazquez on board for trainer Charlie LoPresti and
owner-breeder Morton Fink.
Wise Dan, who scored a remarkable victory in the August 30 Bernard Baruch on
his return from a bout with colic, will not make the trek north, though LoPresti
will be represented on the undercard by Villandry in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer
Turf.
The lucrative weekend of racing at Woodbine starts on Saturday and includes
two Breeders’ Cup “Win
and You’re In” races for two-year-olds — the C$200,000 Natalma Stakes for
fillies and the C$200,000 Summer Stakes, both to be contested at one mile on the
grass.
In addition to the Woodbine Mile, a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup
Mile, Sunday’s card also features the C$300,000 Northern Dancer and the Grade 2,
C$300,000 Canadian Stakes, which also has Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In”
status for the Filly & Mare Turf.
Terrence Ross, star shooting guard for the Toronto Raptors, will be in
attendance at Woodbine on Thursday to pull the post positions for the Woodbine
Mile.
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