gretzky the great | Horse Racing Free Tips

Canadian Champion Gretzky The Great Headlines Sunday’s Toronto Cup

The $125,000 Toronto Cup and the $100,000 Belle Mahone co-headline Sunday's 11-race card at Woodbine.

Nine 3-year-olds, a group that includes Artie's Storm, Gretzky the Great and Riptide Rock, will travel one mile on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course in the Toronto Cup.

Owned and trained by Paul Buttigieg, Artie's Storm will chase his first added-money score in his third stakes appearance.

A son of We Miss Artie-Tiz Stormy Now, Artie's Storm heads into the Toronto Cup off a third-place effort in the Greenwood Stakes, just a head back of winner Gretzky the Great, who he'll meet again on Sunday.

Artie's Storm rallied stoutly in the Greenwood, contested at seven furlongs over the E.P. Taylor on August 14.

David Moran, who has been aboard for all five of the dark bay's starts, once again gets the call.

“He's a lovely horse,” said the multiple stakes winning jockey. “He loves the turf, but I don't think the surface matters at all with him. He settles lovely in every race and he always tries. The distance for this race won't be an issue for him because he's very relaxed in the race and he loves the turf. He's just a nice horse.”

Moran handed out top marks to the gelding for the determined Greenwood showing.

“He just got beat. He just missed second by a head bob, where he was in front just before and just after the wire. It was hard-luck not to be second to Gretzky the Great last time.”

Artie's Storm debuted last October at the Toronto oval, rallying to finish third, a neck away from taking top spot in the 5 ½-furlong Tapeta race.

Bred by Sunrise Farm, Artie's Storm broke his maiden next time out in his three-year-old debut in a main track race over seven panels on the main track.

After a runner-up result in the Queenston Stakes, he was back in the winner's circle, recording a half-length score in a 1 1/16-mile turf race on July 24.

“When I came back after that first race, I said, 'Paul, you've got a really nice horse here,'” recalled Moran. “I told my agent all winter not to miss that horse. He's just improved every race. He's training really well coming into this race. He's a lovely horse to be around and has a great attitude.”

Multiple stakes winner and Canada's champion 2-year-old male Gretzky the Great goes after his fifth career win his ninth start. Bred by Anderson Farms Ontario, the son of Nyquist is trained by Mark Casse for Gary Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.

Riptide Rock, who finished a hard-charging second to Safe Conduct in the Queen's Plate on August 22, will return to the turf for the first time since his career bow last October, when he was a 2 ½-length winner in a six-furlong race on the E.P. Taylor. The Stronach homebred is trained by hall of famer Sid Attard.

Also on Sunday, seven starters will go postward in the Belle Mahone Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile main track event for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and upward. Trainer Mark Casse sends out the trio of Art of Almost, Crystal Glacier and Skygaze.

The Woodbine Turf Endurance Series continues with a 1 ½-mile Inner Turf race. Mambointheforest, at 79-1, took the first leg, at 1 3/8-miles on the Inner, for trainer Ron Sadler and owner Phillip Lanning. The series concludes with a 1 ¾-mile marathon on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course on October 3.

The Toronto Cup is scheduled as the eighth race on Sunday's 1:10 p.m. program. The Duchess is slated as race nine.

Fans can watch and wager on all the action through HPIbet.com.

$125,000 TORONTO CUP STAKES

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Riptide Rock – Justin Stein – Sid Attard

2 – Artie's Storm – David Moran – Paul Buttigieg

3 – War Bomber (IRE) – Shaun Bridgmohan – Norm McKnight

4 – Derzkii – Jason Hoyte – Carlos Grant

5 – My Sea Cottage (IRE) (S) – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

6 – Lenny K – Antonio Gallardo – Kevin Attard

7 – Azzurro – Eswan Flores – John Mattine

8 – Barnegat Light – Pablo Morales – Timothy Hamm

9 – Gretzky the Great – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

$100,000 BELLE MAHONE STAKES

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Crystal Glacier – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

2 – No Mo Lady (S) – Luis Contreras – Michael Trombetta

3 – Saratoga Vision – Jeffrey Alderson – Alexander Patykewich

4 – Skygaze – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

5 – Art of Almost – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse

6 – Fate Factor – Rafael Hernandez – Chris Block

7 – Antigone – Daisuke Fukumoto – Zeljko Krcmar

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Sovereign Awards: Mighty Heart Voted Canada’s Horse Of The Year

The Jockey Club of Canada hosted the 46th Annual Sovereign Awards ceremony through a virtual presentation on Thursday evening, April 15, 2021.

The top three finalists in each category are determined by the online ballots of the Jockey Club of Canada's knowledgeable voters. The media category award finalists were determined by media professionals within the industry selected from across North America.

The Jockey Club of Canada is pleased to announce the 2020 Sovereign Award winners in the order in which they were presented.

Outstanding Photograph:
WILL WONG

Mambointheforest

Published, September 27, 2020; Ontario Racing Website

Outstanding Writing:
CHRIS LOMON
The Pep-Talking Groom, Willy, and a Queen's Plate Crown
Published, September 18, 2020; Ontario Racing website

Outstanding Digital Audio/Visual & Broadcast:
SANTINO DI PAOLA
Dear Horse Racing
Aired, June 8th, 2020; Paulick Report website
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZyQdLfDZW4

Outstanding Groom Award: Michelle Gibson
Michelle learned everything she could about riding and horse care when she attended riding school in Caledon. She began to work with top circuit show jumpers and was soon travelling throughout the United States to major horse shows. When her son Devin was born in 2001, Michelle wanted to leave travelling behind and she checked in at Woodbine racetrack where she got her first job with Thoroughbreds.

Michelle has worked for Hall of Fame trainer Robert Tiller for almost 10 years and she is the groom of Pink Lloyd, the 2017 Horse of the Year, a six-time Sovereign Award winner. Michelle, who likes to have lots of time to get her horses ready and is at the barn at 3:30 a.m. each morning, believes her strengths as a groom come from her meticulous work habits and ability to multi-task. Humbled by receiving the Sovereign Award, Michelle is grateful that she gets to work at what she loves. “The horses are my therapy, they keep me sound and they keep me sane.”

Champion Older Main Track Male: SKYWIRE
Trainer: Mark E. Casse
Owner: Gary Barber and Lucio Tucci
Breeder: William D. Graham
B. G. 5, by Afleet Alex – Meandering Stream (Gone West)
2020: 8 Starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds – $321,980
Winner: Autumn S. (G2), Eclipse S. (G2)

Skywire (116), Pink Lloyd (94), Mr. Ritz (24)

Champion Older Main Track Female: SOUPER ESCAPE
Trainer: Michael J. Trombetta
Owner: Live Oak Plantation
Breeder: Live Oak Stud
Dk. b or b F. 4, by Medaglia d'Oro – Cry and Catch Me (Street Cry*Ire)
2020: 7 Starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 1 third – $200,950
Winner: Seaway S. (G3), Trillium S. (G3)

Souper Escape (142), Painting (52), Summer Sunday (32)

Champion Three-Year-Old Male: MIGHTY HEART
Trainer: Josie Carroll
Owner: Lawrence Cordes
Breeder: Lawrence Cordes
B. C. 3, by Dramedy – Emma's Bullseye (City Place)
2020: 8 Starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third – $922,870
Winner: Prince of Wales S., Queen's Plate, MSW

Mighty Heart (149), Belichick (78), Shirl's Speight (31)

Champion Three-Year-Old Female: CURLIN'S VOYAGE
Trainer: Josie Carroll
Owner: Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. (J. G. Sikura) and Windsor Boys Racing
Breeder: Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc.
F. 3, by Curlin – Atlantic Voyage (Stormy Atlantic) 
2020: 6 Starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 1 third – $447,000
Winner: Fury S., Woodbine Oaks

Curlin's Voyage (83), Merveilleux (76), Artie's Princess (72)

Outstanding Apprentice Jockey: MAURICIO MALVAEZ
Starts 191; Wins 16; Seconds 27; Thirds 16
Earnings $210,888; Stakes Wins 1

Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Mauricio Malvaez grew up spending time working with racehorses. Mauricio began his career as a jockey in 2019 and completed his first full season as an apprentice in 2020 quickly making an impression. However, it was his superb front-running ride on Real Grace, trained by Shelley Brown, to win the Grade 3 Canadian Derby, for owners Shelley Brown, Jean McEwan, Bette Holtman and Bernell B. Rhone that put Mauricio's name in the headlines. Mauricio's 16 wins led all apprentice riders in Canada in 2020.

Mauricio Malvaez (154), Nikki Alderson (60), Edgar Zenteno (59)

Outstanding Jockey: RAFAEL HERNANDEZ
Starts 637; Wins 129; Seconds 99; Thirds 77
Earnings $5,463,126; Stakes Wins 17

Born in Puerto Rico, Rafael won a meet-leading 17 stakes races among his 129 wins in Canada earning himself the riders title at Woodbine for 2020. He held a steady 20% win average throughout the meet. Rafael's biggest win came in the Grade 1 E. P. Taylor Stakes when he guided Etoile (Fr), trained by Chad Brown, to preserve victory in the $600,000 race winning by a neck. Rafael's other achievements include three graded stakes wins aboard champion Pink Lloyd and Skywire, winner of the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes, Grade 2 Eclipse Stakes.

Rafael Hernandez (145), Justin Stein (82), Patrick Husbands (13)

Outstanding Trainer: MARK CASSE
Starts 482; Wins 93; Seconds 86; Thirds: 51

Earnings $5,385,935; Stakes Wins 17

In 2020, Mark's trainees won 93 races from 482 starts, 17 of which were stakes races. His starters earned over $5.3 million in purses. Those numbers all exceeded his 2019 totals despite a shortened 2020 season at Woodbine. Leading the charge of stakes winners in Canada for Mark was Grade 1 Summer Stakes winner Gretzky the Great, two-time graded stakes winner Skywire, and Not So Quiet, a two-time stakes winner. Mark had several other juvenile stakes winners on his roster in 2020 including Cup & Saucer Stakes winner Master Spy and Grade 3 Display Stakes winner Helium.

Mark Casse (120), Josie Carroll (100), Kevin Attard (50)

Champion Male Sprinter: PINK LLOYD
Trainer: Robert P. Tiller
Owner: Entourage Stable
Breeder: John Carey
Ch. G. 8, by Old Forester – Gladiator Queen (Great Gladiator)
2020: 5 Starts – 4 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third – $357,600
Winner: Vigil S. (G3), Bold Venture S. (G3), Shepperton S., Jacques Cartier S. (G3)

Pink Lloyd (142), Silent Poet (95), Not So Quiet (35)

Champion Female Sprinter: ARTIE'S PRINCESS
Trainer: Wesley Ward
Owner: Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey
Breeder: Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey
B. F. 3, by We Miss Artie – Stormkeeper (Stormy Atlantic)
2020: 4 Starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds – $260,220
Winner: Bessarabian S. (G2), Ruling Angel S., ALW

Artie's Princess (133), Lady Grace (45), Boardroom (38)

Special Sovereign Award: SAM-SON FARM
Sam-Son Farm, a Canadian thoroughbred breeding and racing operation, was founded in 1972 by Ernie and Liza Samuel. The red and gold colours of Sam-Son Farm enjoyed their first of five Queen's Plate victories in 1988 with Regal Intention.

Sam-Son also bred and raced nine Woodbine Oaks heroines starting with Classy 'n' Smart in 1984. The brilliant Dance Smartly, a daughter of Classy 'n' Smart, became the 1991 Canadian triple crown winner. Following this incredible feat, Dance Smartly went on to win the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs becoming the first Canadian-bred to win a Breeders Cup race. Sam-Son's beloved Dance Smartly continued her legacy in the breeding shed producing Queen's Plate winners Dancethruthedawn and Scatter the Gold.

In 1991 after which Sam-Son's horses established a world record earning more than $6.8 million in purses, Ernie was presented the Man of the Year award by The Jockey Club of Canada. This honour affirmed Ernie's greatest joy and that of his family, their cherished broodmares and their breeding program.

After Ernie passed away in 2000 Sam-Son was managed by his daughter Tammy Samuel-Balaz until her own passing in 2008. Today the farm's breeding and racing operation is overseen by farm manager David Whitford and racing manager Tom Zwiesler under the leadership of Mark Samuel (CEO), Kim Samuel and Rick Balaz (President).

Celebrating almost 50 years in the thoroughbred breeding and racing business, Sam-Son has been the recipient of an impressive four Eclipse awards, 13 Hall of Fame Awards and 84 Sovereign Awards. Since its inception Sam-Son has bred and raced 44 Graded Stakes winners including 37 Classic winners and 14 Grade 1 winners.

Outstanding Breeder: TALL OAKS FARM
Starters 44; Winners 19
Earnings $2,231,813
Starts 206; Wins 28; Seconds 26; Thirds 25

Ivan Dalos and his Tall Oaks Farm was once again prominent on the leading breeders list in Canada and the United States. Channel Maker, a son of English Channel out of Ivan's 2018 Outstanding Broodmare In Return, had another stellar racing campaign in 2020. Winning the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes, the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Stakes and finishing third in the Grade 2 Bowling Green Stakes and the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland earning the gelding the 2020 Eclipse Award for Champion Turf Male. Dalos bred and raced stakes winner Court Return, winner of the Eternal Search Stakes, second in the Grade 1 E. P. Taylor Stakes and third in the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes as well as, graded stakes placed Avie's Samurai and Avie's Flatter. Tall Oaks led Canadian breeders in earnings with over $2.2 million in purses.

Tall Oaks Farm (103), Sam-Son Farm (93), Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. (48)

Outstanding Broodmare: DANCEFORTHECAUSE
M. 2011 by Giant's Causeway – Dancethruthestorm (Thunder Gulch)
3 Foals, 2 Starters, 2 Winners, 2 Graded Black-Type Winners
Progeny Earnings $760,518

A granddaughter of the great Dance Smartly, Danceforthecause bred by Sam-Son Farm never made it to the races but she is off to a spectacular start in her broodmare career. The daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch has had two starters and both are graded stakes winners. Rideforthecause winner of the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes and Say the Word who won the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Stakes at Woodbine and finished third in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar and the Grade 3 Singspiel Stakes. The mare is now owned by Gainesway Farm. She was purchased by Gainesway at the 2021 Keeneland January sale. Danceforthecause has 2019 foal by Distorted Humor and a 2020 foal by Street Sense.

Danceforthecause (75), Include Katherine (62), Count to Three (59)

Champion Two-Year-Old Male: GRETZKY THE GREAT
Trainer: Mark E. Casse
Owner: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber
Breeder: Anderson Farms Ont. Inc.
B. C. 2, by Nyquist – Pearl Turn (Bernardini)
2020: 5 Starts – 3 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds – $354,400
Winner: Summer S. (G1), Soaring Free S., MSW

Gretzky the Great (152), Ready to Repeat (46), Stephen (27), Master Spy (27)

Champion Two-Year-Old Female: LADY SPEIGHTSPEARE
Trainer: Roger L. Attfield
Owner: Charles E. Fipke
Breeder: Charles E. Fipke
Ch. F. 2, by Speightstown – Lady Shakespeare (Theatrical*Ire)
2020: 2 Starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds – $146,394
Winner: Natalma S. (G1), MSW

Lady Speightspeare (148), Dreaming of Drew (54), Alda (39)

Champion Male Turf Horse: SAY THE WORD
Trainer: D'Amato Philip
Owner: Agave Racing Stable and Sam-Son Farm
Breeder: Sam-Son Farm
Dk. b. or b. G. 5, by More Than Ready – Danceforthecause (Giant's Causeway)
2020: 7 Starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 2 thirds – $298,490
Winner: Northern Dancer S. (G1), ALW/OC

Say the Word (111), Silent Poet (79), Count Again (74)

Champion Female Turf Horse: THEODORA B.
Trainer: Michael W. Dickinson
Owner: Augustin Stable
Breeder: Augustin Stables
Dk. b. or b. M. 5, by Ghostzapper – Dyna Waltz*GB (Dynaformer)
2020: 6 Starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds – $455,940
Winner: TVG S., Dance Smartly S. (G2), ALW/OC

Theodora B. (90), Rideforthecause (88), Elizabeth Way (47)

Outstanding Owner: LIVE OAK PLANTATION
Starts 47; Wins 14; Seconds 9; Thirds 4
Earnings $1,146,408; Stakes Wins 5

Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Plantation and Stud, in Florida, has produced and raced top racehorses since the early 1990s. Charlotte's horses, trained by Mark Casse and Michael Trombetta, closed the season with purse earnings of over $1.1 million placing her third on the leading owners list. The Live Oak stars of 2020 include Souper Escape, a multiple graded stakes winner with victories in the Grade 3 Seaway Stakes and Grade 3 Trillium Stakes. The farm also campaigned the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes winner March to the Arch, the Grade 3 Durham Cup Stakes winner Salute With Honor and 2-year-old filly Souper Sensational, who won the Glorious Song Stakes.

Live Oak Plantation (124), Sam-Son Farm (51), Gary Barber (35)

Horse of The Year: MIGHTY HEART
Trainer: Josie Carroll
Owner: Lawrence Cordes
Breeder: Lawrence Cordes
B. C. 3, by Dramedy – Emma's Bullseye (City Place)
2020: 8 Starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third – $922,870
Winner: Prince of Wales S., Queen's Plate, MSW

Mighty Heart (95), Pink Lloyd (78), Silent Poet (30)

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Canadian Horse of the Year Goes to Mighty Heart

Dual Canadian Classic winner Mighty Heart (Dramedy), a homebred for Lawrence Cordes, was named Canadian Horse of the Year at the 46th Annual Sovereign Awards ceremony held Thursday evening. It marked the second year in a row Canada's championship awards were held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Trained by Josie Carroll, Mighty Heart began his sophomore campaign in July with a maiden special weight victory at Woodbine, then went on to capture the Sept. 12 Queen's Plate S. and the Sept. 29 Prince of Wales S. The one-eyed fan favorite also earned the champion 3-year-old male honor.

Josie Carroll also trained the winner of the champion 3-year-old female title in Curlin's Voyage (Curlin). Running for the partnership of Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Windsor Boys Racing, Curlin's Voyage won both the Woodbine Oaks and the Fury S.

Champion older main track male honors went to the Gary Barber and Lucio Tucci runner Skywire (Afleet Alex), who won the GII Autumn S. and the GII Eclipse S. Live Oak homebred Souper Escape (Medaglia d'Oro), winner of both the GIII Seaway S. and the GIII Trillium S., took home the champion older main track female award.

The Sovereign for champion 2-year-old colt was awarded to Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber's Gretzky the Great (Nyquist), winner of the GI Summer S. and Soaring Free S., while champion 2-year-old filly honors went to Charles E. Fipke's homebred Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown), who captured the GI Natalma S.

The title of champion male turf horse went to GI Northern Dancer S. winner Say the Word (More Than Ready), an Agave Racing Stable and Sam-Son Farm colorbearer. Augustin Stables homebred Theodora B. (Ghostzapper), who won the GII Dance Smartly S. and the TVG S., took home the champion female turf award.

Always popular, the 2017 Canadian Horse of the Year Pink Lloyd (Old Forester), who had also previously been named champion male sprinter three times, as well as champion older dirt male and champion older horse, was back to add another championship title to his resume with a fourth consecutive champion male sprinter honor. The Entourage Stable champ added four of his 23 total black-type victories in 2020: the GIII Vigil S., the GIII Jacques Cartier S., the GIII Bold Venture S., and the Shepperton S. Artie's Princess (We Miss Artie), a homebred for Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, captured the GII Bessarabian S., the Ruling Angel S., and the champion female sprinter award.

The final equine award given at the Sovereigns is outstanding broodmare, which went to Danceforthecause (Giant's Causeway). The 10-year-old mare has produced two graded winners from two starters, including Grade I winner Say the Word, whose champion male turf horse award would be announced just moments after Danceforthecause's honor. The mare also produced GII Canadian S. winner Rideforthecause (Candy Ride {Arg}), who finished second by a narrow margin in voting for the evening's champion female turf horse award. Danceforthecause was sold by Sam-Son Farm at the Keeneland January sale to Gainesway Farm for $925,000.

Trainer Mark Casse earned his 12th Sovereign Award for outstanding trainer. His trainees won 93 Canadian races in 2020–17 in stakes events–and earned over $5.3 million. Among his runners were aforementioned champions Gretzky the Great and Skywire. Outstanding jockey went to Rafael Hernandez, whose 129 wins in 2020 contributed to his earnings of over $5.4 million. Among his regular mounts were champions Pink Lloyd and Skywire. The Sovereign for apprentice jockey went to Mauricio Malvaez, whose 16 scores topped all apprentices in Canada for 2020. Among his victories was his first black-type win, which took place in the GIII Canadian Derby aboard Real Grace (Mineshaft).

Live Oak Plantation was named outstanding owner with earnings of over $1.1 million. Among Live Oak's best runners of 2020 was champion Souper Escape. Outstanding breeder honors went to Tall Oaks Farm, which led Canadian breeders in purse earnings with $2.2 million. The outstanding groom award went to champion Pink Lloyd's groom Michelle Gibson. She has been a part of Hall of Fame trainer Robert Tiller's operation for almost 10 years.

As had been previously announced, Sam-Son Farm was honored with a special sovereign award. Outstanding photograph went to Will Wong for his work entitled Mambointheforest, which was published on the Ontario Racing website; outstanding writing was awarded to Chris Lomon for “The Pep-Talking Groom, Willy, and a Queen's Plate Crown,” also published on the Ontario Racing website; and Santino di Paola won the outstanding digital audio/visual and broadcast award for his work called Dear Horse Racing, which was published on YouTube by Woodbine.

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Jeff Ruby Steaks: Landeros ‘A Big Plus’ For Derby Hopeful Gretzky The Great

Trainer Mark Casse sent Gretzky the Great to Turfway Park to take advantage of the track's new Tapeta synthetic surface. Now he hopes to take advantage of Turfway's signature race, Saturday's $250,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks, offering the maximum 100 points to the winner and 40 for the runner-up toward Kentucky Derby qualifying.

With Churchill Downs having purchased Turfway, the flagship track bumped the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby's points to the winner from 20 to 100 for the first time, on par with the biggest prep races: Fair Grounds' Louisiana Derby, Gulfstream's Florida Derby, Keeneland's Toyota Blue Grass, the Santa Anita Derby, Aqueduct's Wood Memorial and Oaklawn's Arkansas Derby. As a result, Saturday's winner is assured of making the 20-horse Derby field, with the runner-up likely in the race. The Jeff Ruby also will award 20 Derby qualifying points for third and 10 for fourth.

A capacity field of twelve 3-year-olds was entered for Saturday's 1 1/8-mile race, with the Rodolphe Brisset-trained Tarantino the 3-1 favorite, Turfway's John Battaglia Memorial winner Hush of a Storm 4-1 and Gretzky the Great 5-1. First post is 1:12 p.m. ET with a stakes six pack spanning races 6-11 on the 12-race closing card for Turfway's winter-spring meet. The Jeff Ruby is race 11 (6:25 p.m. ET).

Gretzky the Great, who finished third in the Battaglia in his first start this year, has raced only on turf and synthetic surfaces, winning Woodbine's Grade 1 Summer Stakes on grass and its $100,000 prep before finishing sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. As a Canadian-bred, a major objective for him all along has been the $1 million Queen's Plate staged over Woodbine's Tapeta course, but that isn't until late summer.

However, Casse believes Gretzky the Great is bred to love a true dirt surface. Should he win the Jeff Ruby, it could be awfully tempting for owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber to roll the dice at Churchill Downs, where Gretzky the Great's sire, Nyquist, won the 2016 Kentucky Derby.

Casse said that Gretzky the Great had minor ankle surgery after Breeders' Cup at Keeneland and was off until the Battaglia.

“The reason I sent Gretzky to Turfway is that I'm a big believer in Tapeta,” he said. “I just think it's much easier on them. After the Breeders' Cup, we missed some time with him. I knew that if I was going to make a dirt start that I was going to have to breeze him two or three more times. I went to the Battaglia simply because (the surface) is not as tiring. I was even concerned he was going to be a little short for the Battaglia, but I thought it would help him move forward. And then, the Jeff Ruby was definitely the next step.

“Is the Derby a possibility? I wouldn't rule it out. He would have to give us a tremendous performance, though, in the Jeff Ruby and then we'd have to come up with a plan on the Derby. But the Queen's Plate is definitely in our crosshairs.”

Gretzky the Great led most of the way after breaking on the rail in the Battaglia, tiring to third behind Hush of a Storm and Like the King, who also is in the Jeff Ruby.

“He definitely was a little short,” Casse said. “We drew the one hole. I told the rider, 'Look, I want you to put him into the race.' I don't like from the one hole letting horses run by you, and then they go in front of you and next thing you know you're last going (into the turn). Unfortunately, he caught some pressure from a long shot that ran head-and-head with him for three quarters of a mile. He put that horse away and then two more came at him — two more that had to be a lot fitter than we were. I was proud of our horse.”

Chris Landeros, who has ridden considerably for Casse while spending the winter riding at Turfway Park for the first time, rides Gretzky the Great for the first time in a race Saturday.

“I thought he tried and ran hard,” Casse said of the Battaglia. “But more importantly, he's trained very well since then. And I'm excited. I'm very happy we picked up Chris Landeros to ride him. In my opinion, nobody rides Turfway Park like Chris Landeros. So, I think that's a big plus for us.”

Casse, who also has Soup and Sandwich in Saturday's Florida Derby, already has secured one spot in the May 1 Kentucky Derby with Tampa Bay Derby winner Helium, a former workmate with Gretzky the Great. “I thought they were pretty comparable,” he said.

Landeros said he was aboard for Gretzky the Great's last two works at Turfway.

“He's been working really well,” he said. “I can't thank Mark and the owners enough for the opportunity. I really do think he's going to run a big race. His last race, it was the first time in a while he'd run. He needed the race and kind of got shut off a bit down the lane. He ran a game third, and I think he'll be ready to go.”

Landeros is hoping to cap a very good winter at Turfway with a big day Saturday. His 28 wins through Thursday rank No. 4, but his 25-percent win clip tops the leaders and he is narrowly in second behind Rafael Bejarano in purse earnings for the meet.

In addition to riding Gretzky the Great, he's riding Into Vanishing in the $150,000 Bourbonette Oaks, whose winner will receive 50 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Oaks. Landeros has been on Into Vanishing for the 3-year-old filly's two wins at Turfway Park for trainer Jonathan Thomas, who is 8 for 17 at Turfway's winter-spring meet.

Landeros said his agent and brother in law, Brodie Wilkes, back in October brought up the idea of staying in Kentucky for the winter.

“I was a little hesitant at first, but as the fall came and went, I thought it was the right move,” he said. “I kind of wanted to rebuild a little bit, get some local guys on our side so when we come back in the spring to Keeneland and Churchill, we have the best momentum possible for us. Because it's not easy; it's tough. But I got great support between Mark Casse, Ian Wilkes, Jonathan Thomas, Rodolphe Brisset – those guys gave me great opportunities and we made the most of it. It should set up shop for a good spring and summer.”

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