Hall of Fame coach Mark Casse is hoping for a wild ride in the $300,000 Spinaway Stakes (G1) on September 4 at Racecourse Saratoga. It will depend on his 2-year-old child Magic wheel to bring excitement in Spinaway, the biggest event of the Saratoga season for teenage women.
The Wonder Wheel is aptly named to be able to give the Casse shed some thrills and some hope for the future.
Filly’s owner, New Jersey-based DJ Stable, is run by Jon Green with his father, Len Green, the daughter of Into Mischief for the iconic 150-foot Ferris wheel at Coney Island in Brooklyn, NY
A 10-man field was entered for the seven-stage race, including the winners of the meeting’s two previously classified minors: Clarkland Farm’s Only Cindy who won the opening day Schuylerville (G3) and Holy Cow Stable’s Naughty Gal who took Adirondack (G3).
Casse spoke confidently about the Wonder Wheel, who won the first two starts with a total length of nine. Most recently come in the Debutante Shares listed at Churchill Downs on July 4th when she won 6 3/4 length.
It made Casse think he might have something in this young man, who bought $275,000 in the September 2021 Keeneland sale.
He dares to say out loud that the Wonder Wheel reminds him of the horses he has trained in the past, like Classic Empire (2-year-old male winner of Eclipse 2016), Wonder Gadot (three-time Canadian Sovereign Award winner), and War of Wills (2019 Preakness Stakes, G1, winner and 1st place winner on grass, Maker’s Mark Mile in 2020).
“I know, and I worry about that a little bit when I say there are only two starts,” Casse said. “But that’s what she showed me.”
Casse said the Wonder Wheel has given him that vibe ever since she entered the barn.
She has been in Saratoga all summer and has shown five productions. Casse said he never considered running for $200,000 from Adirondack Staking on Aug.
“It’s by design,” Casse said. “You can’t run in all of them. She practiced a lot. You don’t get them around like that very often. From the beginning, she was always at the top of her class and her two performances. was great. I would worry because when you think you have a good one, you worry.”
One change Casse will make is that jockey John Velazquez will be on board for the first time, replacing Tyler Gaffalione, who rode the Wonder Wheel in her first two starts. Gaffalione left Spa to come Kentucky Downs meet.
Coach Eddie Kenneally brought Just Cindy, daughter of Evenly back to his base at Keeneland after her score 2 1/4 of her length in Schuylerville. She has had five works in Lexington since Schuylerville.
Luis Saez will become the third other rider to ride Just Cindy. Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode her in Schuylerville, riding WinStar Farm’s Aunt Shirley in Spinaway.
“She’s been doing very, very well since Schuylerville,” Kenneally said. “We’ve brought her back to Keeneland and she hasn’t missed a beat. She’s been in great form.”
Hall of Fame coach D. Wayne Lukas will command Naughty Gal, who, despite an extensive ride in Adirondack, was able to prevail in a 2-and-a-half time span. She will also have a new helm when Jose Ortiz replaces Saez.
Naughty Gal is another daughter of Into Mischief.
Lukas said: “She was a strong, big, powerful person. “One of the best riders I know called me the other day and said, ‘Boy, that’s a handsome son of (the gun) you ran in Adirondack.” She is a picture of formation. Her growth, strength, and size are amazing. You want to research a person and how they look at this age, she is it. In every way. “
Here is the field, in order of post position: Kaling trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; Miss Georgie coached by Lacey Gaudet and owned by Michael Eiserman, Earl Silver, and Kenneth Fishbein; Apple selector , trained by Rudy Rodriguez and owned by Michael Dubb; Gal naughty; Only Cindy; Leave no trace coached by Phil Serpe and owned by WellSpring Stables; Sabra Tuff , trained by Dallas Stewart and owned by Valene Farms; Aunt Shirley, coached by Rodolphe Brisset; magic wheel; and American Rockette Coached by Bill Mott and owned by Frank Fletcher Racing Operations.
