Month: October 2022

Three years ago, Mark Casse saddled Wonder Gadot, one of the greatest fillies to ever grace his shedrow, for the last time. On Friday, the trainer got some more “wonder” in his life when Wonder Wheel got to the lead early and survived a deep stretch battle to win the Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland. The victory secured her a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in November at the same track.

The 2-year-old daughter of Into Mischief broke from the inside post, and quickly established herself as the leader as the field headed into the first turn. Wonder Wheel led the field through the turn and into the backstretch, followed on the outside by Raging Sea and Xigera, and directly behind by Essaouira, setting an opening quarter in :23.49.

Wonder Wheel was under constant pressure from Xigera through the back straightaway, and through an opening half in :47.16. Xigera was followed closely by a second flight including Kaling, Raging Sea, and Essaouira.

Wonder Wheel began to break loose from the rest of the field as the final turn approached, and she held a one-length advantage over Xigera after covering six furlongs in 1:11.60. The leader extended that advantage slightly heading through the final turn, and she maintained a one-length cushion after completing a mile in 1:38.22.

The filly appeared clear after passing the last pole before the wire, but Chop Shop was staging a three-wide rally, and Raging Sea was coming with her between the two horses. Jockey Joel Rosario had dead aim on the leader aboard Chop Shop, and they drew into contention with Wonder Wheel in the final jump before Keeneland's short-stretch wire, but Wonder Wheel held on to prevail by a nose.

Chop Chop finished a neck ahead of Raging Sea, who was another three-quarters of a length ahead of Xigera. However, Raging Sea and Xigera swapped finish positions after further review found that Raging Sea had cut off Xigera's progress in the deep stretch, and forced jockey Joe Talamo to take up his mount.

Wonder Wheel competed the 1 1/16-mile Alcibiades in 1:35.17 over a fast main track. She paid $10.20 to win as a tepid post time favorite.

Mark Casse trains Wonder Wheel for owner Leonard Green's D. J. Stable. She was bred in Kentucky by Three Chimneys Farm and Clearsky Farms, out of the Tiz Wonderful mare Wonder Gal. Despite the similar name, Wonder Wheel is no direct relation to Casse's Canadian Horse of the Year Wonder Gadot.

Green purchased Winder Wheel for $275,000 at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

It was the fourth Alcibiades victory for Casse, who also saddled Spring in the Air in 2012, My Conquestadory in 2013, and Heavenly Love in 2017.

Friday's Alcibiades victory improved Wonder Wheel's career record to three wins from four starts for earnings of $510,725. In addition to the automatic Breeders' Cup berth, the win also earned Wonder Wheel 10 qualifying points toward the 2023 Kentucky Oaks.

She broke her maiden on debut in June at Churchill Downs, then she won the Debutante Stakes a month later at the same track by 6 3/4 lengths. The filly suffered her lone defeat in her start prior to the Alcibiades, finishing second in the G1 Spinaway Stakes.

Quotes from the Keeneland Notes Team:

Mark Casse (winning trainer of Wonder Wheel)

“She had a great trip today; she had a little bit of a troubled trip (in the Spinaway-G1 at Saratoga in September). And in all honesty, the Spinaway is a big race – it's a Grade 1, but it wasn't my main goal. Today was it, and hopefully this will lead us into another big race coming up. She ran well, had a great trip. Some others maybe struggled and didn't, but I do think she probably lost focus a little. She would surprise me if she couldn't get a really good mile and a sixteenth. So maybe this race moves her up.”

On stepping up to the $2 million NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 4 at Keeneland

“Just getting this race over this track and getting the two turns, that in itself is going to move her up. It's not rocket science. We'll just keep her happy and hope for the best.”

Tyler Gaffalione (winning rider)

“I want to thank (Mr. and Mrs. Leonard) Green (of owner D. J. Stables) and Mark Casse for giving me this opportunity. They've been so instrumental in my career and getting me to this point. I'm so thankful for them. This filly, she came out here and did everything right today. We always thought she had a lot of class and she really showed it today. She put in a really big performance. Visually, (the win) doesn't look as easy as it should, but she kind of just got lost coming into the stretch and there were a lot of people in the stands today, so she had every excuse.”

Joel Rosario (rider of runner-up Chop Chop)

“She came running and it looked like for a second we got it. That was a good performance for her.”

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George Strawbridge's Delight led from start to finish in Friday afternoon's Grade 2, $350,000 Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland, drawing clear of her rivals to post a five-length triumph in the “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. The 2-year-old daughter of Mendelssohn, trained by Johnathan Thomas and ridden by Luis Saez, completed 1 1/16 miles over the firm turf course in 1:44.14.

“(I credit her) good owner (for the progress she's made since April), letting us take our time and pick the appropriate spots,” Thomas said. “Her ability to relax (impressed me most today). We were hoping to get her covered up, but she really relaxed. I love seeing her ears twitching back and forth. You're always hoping you have horse, and she kicked away. That's when you see (jockey) Luis (Saez) really, really good, when he's on the lead like that. He's so well rounded, but that's when he's absolutely brilliant.”

Delight was the post-time favorite at odds of 7-2, and gave her sire his first graded stakes-winning offspring. Bred in Kentucky by Hickstead Farm, she is out of the unraced Medaglia d'Oro mare Honey Trap and commanded a final bid of $400,000 at the OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training. With two wins from four starts to her name, Delight's earnings stand at $211,905.

“It was pretty easy (to get her to relax on the front end),” Saez said of the ride. “The plan was to follow somebody and have a target for the lead, but she broke so well and did it on her own. She controlled the pace and relaxed beautiful. When she came to the top of the stretch, it was all about her. She (accelerated) pretty fast (at the top of the stretch). She had a big turn of foot and I didn't really have to do anything – just keep going on with her and she did it.”

The full order of finish is as follows: Delight, Knockyoursocksoff, Bling, Sabalenka, C C Cruise Control, Dulcia, Happy Gal, Towhead, Blind Spot, Stephanie's Charm, Recognize, and Promise of Hope.

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Susan Moulton's Manny Wah benefitted from a well-timed ride by jockey Corey Lanerie in Friday's Grade 2, $350,000 Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland. The 6-year-old son of Will Take Charge was last near the outside of the field at the head of the lane, but dove to the rail and dug in gamely for a neck victory over Long Range Toddy at odds of 17-1. It was just the fifth career win for Manny Wah, trained through 34 starts by Wayne Catalano.

“This horse had a lot of bad luck,” Catalano said. “He could have won a few more races. Today, the race, the trip – Corey (Lanerie) gave him one and the horse does what he does; he tries all the time. He's one of our favorite horses in the barn. Everybody loves him and he loves everybody. He's a people's horse. I'm just so happy for Shane (Sellers) and (owner) Miss Susan (Moulton) and the whole crew and everybody that helped me get to where I am today.”

Manny Wah completed six furlongs over the fast main track in 1:10.31, earning an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Sprint next month at Keeneland.

“That's kind of what we're all in this for, when you get to these big races,” Catalano continued. “That's what we do. I'm very happy and blessed to have this opportunity, once again. I couldn't have done it for a better person than Susan and Shane. It's a great team.”

The full order of finish was as follows: Manny Wah, Long Range Toddy, Top Gunner, Sibelius, Baytown Bear, Necker Island, Sir Alfred James, and Special Reserve.

“I just rode my horse,” said Lanerie. “Wayne told me to ride him with confidence, and I spoke with Shane (Sellers) earlier and he said, 'Just ride him like you know how to ride him and he'll come running. Hopefully the pace falls apart.' When I saw him in the post parade today I thought he looked even better than when I rode him last time, and I know he likes this track, so I just rode with him with a lot of confidence. I just let him catch his stride. Turning for home, to be honest with you, I didn't know if I was going to catch them, but when he saw that last little hole, he hit another gear and he was going to get home.”

Bred in Kentucky by Martha Jane Mulholland & Modo Tesio Equine, LLC, Manny Wah is out of the Grade 1-placed, stakes-winning Proud Citizen mare Battlefield Angel. He was a $175,000 yearling purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale, and has built up a record of 5-9-6 from 34 starts for earnings of $791,355.

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