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Owlette Eyes Woodbine’s Selene

Ten Broeck Farm’s Owlette (Frac Daddy) looks to record her fourth stakes win in Saturday’s GIII Selene S. at Woodbine.

Conditioned by Wesley Ward, the Ontario-bred filly took last year’s Shady Well S. and Victorian Queen S. and subsequently won the June 13 Star Shoot S. in her 2020 bow. Never worse than second in six career starts, including four wins over Woodbine’s Tapeta, Owlette will be joined for the first time by Luis Contreras.

Always armed and dangerous at Woodbine, Mark Casse saddles a pair of fillies for Gary Barber–American Tap (Tapiture) and Two Sixty (Uncaptured)–in addition to Diamond Sparkles (War Front), campaigned by the partnership of Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.

Diamond Sparkles made her North American debut in last September’s GI Natalma S., finishing fourth behind Abscond (Blame). In her latest start, while making her debuting over Woodbine’s main track June 13, she finished second.

“She came over from Europe, ran pretty good in the Natalma, and then struggled a little bit through the winter,” said Casse of Diamond Sparkles. “I thought her last race was good and she’s training well. We’re going to give her a shot.”

A victory by Casse in Saturday’s Selene, a stepping stone to the Aug. 15 Woodbine Oaks, would be a record sixth win, tying him with Yonnie Starr. Casse and Barber teamed to take the 2018 edition with Miss Mo Mentum followed by Power Gal last year.

Also a fan of the Woodbine Tapeta, Merveilleux (Paynter) was runner-up in last falls’s Princess Elizabeth S. and Ontario Lassie S. Trained by Kevin Attard, she came home a winner in her sole 2020 start, a June 21 allowance over 8 1/2 furlongs.

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TDN Rising Star Shirl’s Speight Heads Marine

Despite facing more seasoned rivals in Saturday’s GIII Marine S. at Woodbine, Shirl’s Speight (Speightstown) looms large in the traditional primer for the Queen’s Plate, scheduled for Sept. 12. Sent off at 3-1 for a trainer not typically known for his first-time starters, the Roger Attfield trainee took control in the early going of the seven-furlong turf test July 4 and rolled home an emphatic eight-length winner under Rafael Hernandez, becoming a TDN Rising Star in the process. The Charles Fipke hombred is out of Perfect Shirl (Perfect Soul {Ire})–a daughter of GISW Lady Shirl (That’s Nice)–who annexed the 2011 GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Turf.

On the other end of the spectrum, John Oxley’s Lucky Curlin (Curlin) will be making his 10th start in the 1 1/16-mile contest. The Mark Casse-conditioned colt needed six tries to get off the duck at two, and finally earned the distinction via DQ in a sloppy six-panel affair at the Fair Grounds in December. Off the board in a pair of stakes at the New Orleans oval over the winter, the homebred came from off the pace to score last time in Etobicoke over the Marine’s course and distance June 14.

“He’s a horse that’s disappointed me, to be honest,” said Casse. “We were always thinking, ‘If he ever gets his act together..’ He was a horse early on that we thought was as good as [Grade III winner] Enforceable [Tapit]. And of course, Enforceable is going to the [GI] Kentucky Derby.”

“His last race, from a Beyer standpoint, was very good. I wasn’t surprised, but it was pleasant. He’s been extremely frustrating for us because we’ve had high hopes for him. There are horses whose abilities are limited. He hasn’t been that way. So, we’ll see how he handles two turns. I’m still not positive that he isn’t a come-from-behind sprinter. But we’re going to give it a try.”

Among Queen’s Plate eligible runners is Dotted Line (Signature Red), listed at 18-1 in the Queen’s Plate winterbook. The winner of three starts in 2019, including a pair of stakes over the Tapeta, the Sid Attard trained gelding finished fifth in Woodine’s seven-panel Queeneston S. against fellow Ontario breds July 4.

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Maximum Security Makes Belated California Debut in San Diego H.

Eclipse Award winner Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) makes his first start for trainer Bob Baffert and first since the federal indictment of former trainer Jason Servis in Saturday’s rescheduled GII San Diego H. at Del Mar.

The homebred was a two-time Grade I winner during his championship campaign in 2019, taking the GI Florida Derby and GI Haskell Invitational S. around his disqualification from an apparent victory in the GI Kentucky Derby. He proved his versatility and did what no other horse of his generation could at the tail end of the campaign, defeating elders in the GIII Bold Ruler H. over seven furlongs and the GI Cigar Mile H. last December. Connections elected to pass on the GI Pegasus World Cup in favor of the inaugural $20-million Saudi Cup Feb. 29, where he gamely held off Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute). With regular rider Luis Saez unable to leave Saratoga, Maximum Security–the 127-pound highweight–gets the services of Abel Cedillo.

Higher Power (Medaglia d’Oro) is in receipt of five pounds from the favorite and looks to take his record to a perfect two-for-two at Del Mar. After fetching $250,000 from Hronis Racing during the horses-of-racing-age section of the 2019 Keeneland April sale, the bay romped in the GI Pacific Classic before rounding out the triple in the GI Awesome Again S. and the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic. Racing without Lasix as the 14-5 chalk in the Pegasus, he finished a tailed-off 10th, but bounced back with a strong runner-up effort to ‘TDN Rising Star’ Improbable (City Zip) in the June 6 GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita.

Combatant (Scat Daddy) won four races and was multiple graded-placed for Steve Asmussen and Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton before being acquired by Hronis for $220,000 at KEENOV last fall. Third to Midcourt (Midnight Lute) in the GII San Pasqul S. Feb. 1, he was the narrow winner of the GI Santa Anita H. Mar. 7 and a latest 10th in the GII Oaklawn H. He is cross-entered for Sunday’s GII Eddie Read S. on the turf.

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Marylou Whitney Auction to Benefit Saratoga Backstretch Clinic

The Marylou Whitney Collection Auction, benefitting The Saratoga Backstretch Clinic, will kick off at midnight, Monday, July 27 and continues through Saratoga’s Whitney Day, Saturday, Aug. 1, at 11:59 pm. The auction benefits the new building that will be the future home of the backstretch medical clinic operated at Saratoga Race Course by Saratoga Hospital and the Backstretch Employee Service Team.
Included among the personal remembrances of the philanthropic icon known as the ‘Queen of Saratoga’ is a 1992 Jaguar XJS Convertible in British Racing Green with tan leather interior, featuring a V12 Engine and under 36,000 miles.

Originally, the auction list featured Marylou’s 1985 red Jaguar XJ6, however, upon pre-auction inspection it has been removed and replaced with her “Kentucky Jaguar.”
For more information and to register in advance visit www.marylouwhitneycollection.com.

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