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Carribean Caper Puts Undefeated Stauts On The Line In Audubon Oaks

Carribean Caper has been visually impressive in winning her three starts by open lengths, including a second-level allowance race at Ellis Park by 4 1/2 lengths after being bothered at the start. She makes her stakes debut in Sunday's $100,000 Audubon Oaks. The seven-furlong stakes for 3-year-old fillies last year helped launch Sconsin, now a multiple graded-stakes winner who is Grade 1-placed and training at Ellis Park for Saratoga's Grade 1 Ballerina.

Everything about Carribean Caper has been impressive except her speed figures, which started high in her eight-length debut romp at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans but dropped substantially in both starts since.

“Those numbers are so weird,” said trainer Al Stall. “In our last race, she ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16 and just inhaled those horses after breaking bad. I don't know what all that's about. But anyway, whatever, we'll see. Hopefully numbers do lie.”

Stall took a conservative route with Carribean Caper, running her through her allowance conditions before jumping in a stakes. Colby Hernandez has been aboard throughout.

“She didn't do super well over the winter,” Stall said. “Her race was impressive, but man, she kept growing her coat out. We had to clip her and clip her. Her color wasn't good. After her Keeneland race, I wasn't really happy with her weight and her color. That's the only reason we backed off her.

“Then we were lucky though to find that race early at Ellis. Between Keeneland and Ellis, she really did well. She enjoyed the Kentucky spring, a lot of grazing, like a busman's holiday-type of thing. Didn't leave the barn but got a freshening. She did pick up a lot of weight and has continued to do well ever since. I'm happy with her appearance and all that stuff.”

Stall is hoping the Audubon Oaks catapults Carribean Caper to Churchill Downs' $275,000 Dogwood and Keeneland's Grade 2 Raven Run, all at seven-eighths of a mile and restricted to 3-year-old fillies.

“I'd love her to earn her way into the Dogwood or the Raven Run,” he said. “I'd be thrilled to death. We're just going to kind of keep chipping away and hopefully she runs well and we can say, 'Hey, let's think about a nice race at Churchill and an even better race at Keeneland.'”

Carribean Caper, a daughter of the prominent sire and sprint champion Speightstown, is the first foal of the Dixie Union mare Checkupfromzneckup. Her yearling daughter by Tapit sold for $990,000 at Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga sale Monday night.

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Arkansas Derby Winner Super Stock Could Benefit From Running At Home In Ellis Park Derby

Now North America's all-time win leader with 9,450 victories through Thursday, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen is chipping away at the world record held by Peruvian-based Juan Suarez Villarroel, who has almost 9,900 wins. Asmussen's Ellis Park division has heated up lately, with six wins since July 30, bringing his meet total to nine, three behind Brad Cox and one behind Ian Wilkes.

Asmussen has a leading contender for the $200,000 RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Derby in Grade 1 Arkansas Derby winner Super Stock. If that colt — owned by Asmussen's parents Keith and Marilyn and renowned Nashville talent promoter Erv Woolsey — runs to his Arkansas Derby performance — he's going to be very tough to beat. Of course, if he runs to his subsequent pair of fourth-place finishers in the Texas and Iowa Derby, then the 1 1/8-mile stakes is wide open. (Super Stock also finished 16th in the Kentucky Derby, but no horse has to apologize for finishing up the track in the Derby's cavalry charge.)

Darren Fleming, who oversees Asmussen's Ellis Park division, was around Super Stock at Oaklawn Park and in Texas.

“I think Super Stock will run well,” Fleming said. “He's gotten to stay here and train. He likes being where he's going to run. Hopefully that makes him run better. He's coming our way. The Derby took a lot out of him.”

Asmussen also has Costa Terra, a debut winner by a nose at Ellis, in the $125,000 RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Juvenile and Iowa Distaff winner Josie and Iowa Distaff third-place finisher Himiko in the Groupie Doll. Ricardo Santana Jr. comes in from Saratoga to ride every horse but Himiko, who will have Joe Talamo aboard.

Fleming said Costa Terra “has been training really well. I think he'll take the step forward good.”

Costa Terra could become the third stakes-winner from the first crop of horses sired by Asmussen's 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner. Costa Terra is owned by Ron Winchell, who campaigned Gun Runner with Three Chimneys Farm.

Josie makes her first start for Asmussen after being sold at Fasig-Tipton's July auction to KatieRich Farms for $300,000. She was previously trained by Brad Cox.

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Sally’s Curlin Tries To Regain Her Mojo In Ellis’ Groupie Doll

Even if Sally's Curlin hadn't won CJ Thoroughbreds' first graded stakes, the 5-year-old mare would hold special meaning for managing partner Corey Johnsen.

“First and foremost, she's named my daughter, Sally,” said Johnsen, who before becoming a full-time horseman was a noted racetrack operator who ran and owned part-interest in Lone Star Park and Kentucky Downs until those tracks were sold. “That's most important. Secondly, she is our first graded-stakes winner.”

Now Sally's Curlin returns off a 3 1/2-month layoff in Ellis Park's $125,000 RUNHAPPY Groupie Doll, part of Sunday's blockbuster five-stakes card at the RUNHAPPY Meet at Ellis Park that includes the $200,000 RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Derby. Sally's Curlin has raced at Ellis Park once before, winning an entry-level allowance race at the Groupie Doll's mile distance in 2019.

“She worked like the wind Saturday,” Johnsen said by phone from Texas. “We were looking forward to a strong 5-year-old campaign from Sally. And then she just kind of lost her focus in the spring and we gave her some time off. She's coming back from that break, and the word is that she's training as good as ever.”

Said trainer Dale Romans: “It's all positive with Sally's Curlin. We gave her a little freshener, and she came back better than ever. Hopefully she jumps up and runs to her old form.”

Corey Lanerie has the mount.

Sally's Curlin — a $160,000 Keeneland yearling by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin — was among the first horses purchased by CJ Thoroughbreds when Johnsen and his son, C.J., launched the syndicate. The mare is owned in partnership with Left Turn Racing and Casner Racing.

Sally's Curlin required five starts to win, doing so the first time she ran in blinkers. Aggressively placed in the Grade 3 Indiana Oaks off that victory, she beat one horse but rebounded to win at Ellis Park. That was immediately followed by a 9 1/4-length second-level allowance victory at Churchill Downs and the Grade 3 Chilukki Stakes that provided CJ Thoroughbreds its initial graded-stakes triumph. In fact, including her maiden win, Sally's Curlin is 4 for 4 at a mile on dirt.

Sally started her 4-year-old season with victory in Gulfstream Park's Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie at seven-eighths of a mile in mid-March. Then COVID hit and she didn't race until July, finishing fifth in Keeneland's Grade 1 Madison then third in Churchill Downs' delayed Grade 1 Derby City Distaff, both with exceedingly tough fields. Five disappointing races later, including her last two starts on grass, and it was time for a break and chance at a reset.

“Her 4-year-old year got messed up by COVID-19 and the race cancellations,” Johnsen said. “We had so many high hopes after that Hurricane Bertie effort, when she ran a super-good speed figure and the race of her life. And then we just couldn't run her at her favorite tracks and favorite distances for a long time. It was very disappointing. Having said that, she is Grade 1 stakes-placed, and she ran a great race that day at Churchill…. I'm hoping the old Sally will show up.”

Of course, the last time Sally ran at Ellis, it launched that her three-race win streak. Johnsen promised before the Ellis victory that if she won, he would donate $500 to the Kentuckiana Friends of V foundation that raises money for cancer research and programs. Bob Valvano and Mike Pratt happened to be broadcasting their sports-talk show on Louisville's ESPN 680 that day as part of a KFOV fund-raiser.

It turns out that KFOV is having a golf fundraiser on Monday in Louisville. Johnsen knows a good-luck charm when he experiences one, saying, “If Sally wins the Groupie Doll, we'll donate $1,000. One of the best races of her career was at Ellis Park. We're hoping that setting will create some more success for her. She is the ultimate one-turn mile horse, and that's perfect for her.”

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Casse Hopes March To The Arch Can Repeat In King Edward

Eight hopefuls, including Mark Casse trainees March to the Arch and Olympic Runner, are set to contest the Grade 2 $175,000 King Edward Stakes, a one-mile event for three-year-olds and up on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, Sunday at Woodbine.

Casse, who was recently feted with others at the combined 2020 and 2021 U.S. Horse Racing Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, has a pair of chances to notch his third King Edward crown, including with defending champ March to the Arch.

A lifetime winner of eight races from 27 starts, the 6-year-old son of Arch, bred and owned by Live Oak Plantation, sports a record of 4-3-0 in seven Woodbine appearances.

After a second-place effort to 2020 Queen's Plate winner Mighty Heart in the main track Grade 3 Dominion Day on July 1 at the Toronto oval, March to the Arch, as the 6-5 choice, rallied over good going on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course to notch a sharp 4 ½-length triumph in the Niagara Stakes, set at a distance of 'about' 1 1/8-miles.

Those first two starts of 2021 earned high praise from Casse.

“March to the Arch, what can I say? He's a tough, old boy who has come back this year as strong as ever. His last race [July 25], it was very impressive. He ran really well. He sat back – they set up a little pace for him – and he came running. He's cutting back for this race, but I don't think that should be a big issue.”

Casse expects another strong performance this Sunday.

“He should run well this weekend. He's gotten better [over time]. Early on, he didn't show a whole lot. It took him a while, but when he did put it all together, he did it well. He really has become better with age.”

March to the Arch launched his career with a fifth-place result at Gulfstream in February 2018, and earned his first win next time out, also at the Hallandale oval. The Florida-bred earned his first stakes victory that July, at Woodbine, in the Toronto Stakes.

The current plan is for the multiple graded stakes winner to contest one of the biggest races on the Woodbine stakes calendar.

“We're looking and hoping for another shot at the Woodbine Mile (September 18),” said Casse, who watched March to the Arch rally stoutly to finish second to Starship Jubilee in last year's running. “He's a real pro.”

Casse will also send out by Olympic Runner, a 5-year-old son of Gio Ponti, in the King Edward.

Bred in Kentucky by Eutrophia Farm Ltd., the Gary Barber-owned dark bay comes into the race off a silver medal performance in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup, missing top spot by a neck.

Olympic Runner, who brings a 4-7-2 mark from 22 career starts into Sunday's race, has a tendency to be his own worst enemy at times, noted Casse.

“He runs really well. He just doesn't get there quite as much as you would like to see. He kind of gets himself into trouble. I'm always making excuses for him, but I've come to the conclusion that he does it. He's coming into the race in good order. He's pretty consistent. He gets into trouble on tighter turns, so I think he enjoys the Woodbine turf course.”

Fourth in last year's Ricoh Woodbine Mile, his lone stakes win came in the 2019 running of the King Corrie at Woodbine.

There's a possibility Olympic Runner could join March to the Arch in the Toronto oval's fall turf classic.

“We're hoping he's good enough for the Woodbine Mile,” offered Casse.

Casse, who won his first King Edward in 2008 with Royal Oath, is hoping to see some fast early fractions in the King Edward.

“Both of them need some pace, so hopefully, that's what they can get on Sunday.”

Hall of Fame conditioner Josie Carroll sends out a formidable duo of her own, multiple graded stakes winners Jolie Olimpica, a 5-year-old daughter of Drosselmeyer, and Avie's Flatter, a 5-year-old son of Flatter.

The King Edward is slated as Race 8 on Sunday's 10-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Fans can also watch and wager via HPIbet.com.

FIELD FOR THE GRADE 2 $175,000 KING EDWARD

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Town Cruise – Daisuke Fukumoto – Brandon Greer

2 – Olympic Runner – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

3 – March to the Arch – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

4 – Avie's Flatter – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll

5 – Gray's Fable – Gary Boulanger – Roger Attfield

6 – Alfons Walde (IRE) – David Moran – Conor Murphy

7 – Jolie Olimpica (BRZ) – Kazushi Kimura – Josie Carroll

8 – Valid Point – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Graham Motion

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