Three for Casse in Queen’s Plate

[Wandering Eyes]

Canadian Hall of Famer and Woodbine’s longtime dominant trainer Mark Casse “only” boasts one prior Queen’s Plate win (2014, Lexie Lou), but he sends out a strong three-pronged attack in Saturday’s 159th running of the first leg of Canada’s Triple Crown. Favored at 5-2 on the morning line is Stonestreet’s ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Telekinesis (Ghostzapper). The $470,000 KEENOV weanling was a good-looking debut winner at Fair Grounds in February, and just missed to My Boy Jack (Creative Cause) in the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. two starts later. He annexed the Plate Trial S. here by 1 3/4 lengths June 9, defeating three returning rivals. “He’s going to have speed from out there [in the 10 post],” said Casse after Wednesday’s draw. “He’ll be the most forwardly placed of my runners, and it looks like the speed is inside us.” Fellow Casse-conditioned ‘Rising Star‘ Wonder Gadot (Medaglia d’Oro) is drawn one gate wider and could become the second filly in as many years and fourth this decade to beat the boys in the Plate. The MGSW cut Monomoy Girl (Tapizar)’s GI Kentucky Oaks margin of victory to a half-length May 4, and was only a head behind Dixie Moon (Curlin) in the June 9 Woodbine Oaks. She does have a tendency not to finish off her races, and could benefit from the blinkers she’ll be getting for the first time here. Longshot Neepawa (Scat Daddy), most recently third behind Cooler Mike (Giant Gizmo) in a May 20 optional claimer, rounds out the Casse runners. He was also second to Aheadbyacentury (Midnight Lute) in last year’s Coronation Futurity.

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