Sweep of Summer, Natalma gives Casse two for Breeders' Cup

Trainer Mark Casse swept Woodbine's two Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" events for juvenile turf runners, the Summer (G2) and the Natalma (G2) for fillies, in 2014. Despite that history, bettors apparently were caught off guard Saturday as the conditioner did it again with two longshots.

Casse started two in the $170,684 Summer over a mile on a course listed as good. First-time starter Conquest Enforcer was well-backed as the 7-2 third choice, while Conquest Daddyo, who had won at first asking on Polytrack and was making his turf debut after running a close second in the C$150,000 Vandal, was a cold 15-1 on the board.

Manhattan Dan sprinted off and set solid fractions for the distance: :22.74, :46.25 and 1:11.06. Rated in seventh early by Joe Bravo, Conquest Daddyo advanced to fourth around the turn, caught the leader approaching the eighth pole and drove home a 1 3/4-length winner in a time of 1:36.61. He paid $33.80 to win.

Sky Marshal, who was blocked and forced to steady around the turn, got up for second by 1 3/4 lengths over Manhattan Dan. Conquest Enforcer was fourth while 5-2 favorite The Zip Zip Man was the last to cross the wire in eighth.

"Obviously, we loved the other horse [Conquest Enforcer], but he had a tall task, especially with some give to the turf," said Casse, reached by phone in Kentucky after the race. "I nearly scratched him but if I scratched him I didn't know what we would do next so I went ahead and ran him.

"It doesn't surprise me at all. This horse [Conquest Daddyo] worked extremely well on the grass the other day. Scat Daddys love the grass and this is a big, long-striding colt that's just going to get better the farther he runs."

A $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase, Conquest Daddyo races for Conquest Stables and will head to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Keeneland with earnings of $162,328.

Earlier in the card, Catch a Glimpse repeated the front-running tactics that landed her a victory in an August 22 prep over seven furlongs and won the $160,432 Natalma by five lengths under Florent Geroux and returning $19.80 to win.

Not appearing to be the lone speed on paper, the daughter of City Zip proved to be just that in reality as she set comfortable splits of :23.63, :47.57 and 1:12.11, and kicked home in :23.84 to win the one-mile event in a time of 1:35.95, several lengths faster than the Summer. Gamble's Ghost, the 3-2 favorite, rallied to edge Caren for third.

Catch a Glimpse heads to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Keeneland with two wins in three starts and earnings of $127,352. Fifth over a sloppy Saratoga strip on her July 30 debut, she rebounded to break her maiden by 1 3/4 lengths and is now two-for-two on the grass.

"I saw her at Keeneland last year and she looked fast standing still," said Jeff Begg of co-owner Windways Farm. "I wound up buying her [for $75,000 at the September sale] and then Mike Ambler and Gary Barber bought a piece of her. She always looked like she'd probably be headed to the turf with her pedigree and she proved us right."

(Catch a Glimpse photo: WEG/Michael Burns Photography)