Rustlewood Farm’s purebred pappacap continues to prepare for his 3-year-old debut with a powerful five-feather long piece on January 2 at Fair Grounds & Slots. Coach Mark Casse has Gunman colt only on January 22 Lecomte Stakes (G3) at the New Orleans racetrack.
Pappacap kicks off 5/8 of 59 games this morning at FG, next let’s start Lecomte. pic.twitter.com/Lt2BfTCptC
– Mark Casse (@markecasse) January 2, 2022
Pappacap, along with Declan Carroll, worked with the 4-year-old, who won a stake in John Oxley Palazzi . The second year counts in time: 59, the fastest of the 15 buildings in the day’s distance. The breeze is Pappacap’s fourth timed exercise since finishing second in 1 3/4 length Corniche at the TVG Breeders ‘Adolescent Cup’ presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) on 5 November at Del Mar. Pappacap placed second behind that competitor in American Pharoah Stakes (G1) on October 1 at Santa Anita . Park. Two previous starts, he won Best Pal Stakes (G2) on August 7 in Del Mar to become the first of six black category winners for Gun Runner, a male freshman top of the year 2021.
“His last two races were very good, maybe even better than they looked on paper,” Casse said. “His last race, he had a bit of a rough ride. Once he got out he ran. Corniche was a nice horse, but they were good races. He came back. went home to Ocala and we gave him about 30 days just. spent a few hours in the sun in a round pen and he did a great job doing that. We could give him two weeks of that, then we started where we trained him and still let him spend time hanging out. He really enjoyed it, he gained a few pounds. Given his background, I think he was. will get better. Obviously, Gun Runner is unbelievable. I just think most Gun Runners will get better. His work today is as good as a horse can work.”
Casse previously won the Lecomte Prize with the ultimate winner being a dual surface layer 1 War of Wills in 2019 and with Effective in 2020.
“I just feel like sometimes we sit on them for too long and I want to go ahead and let him run. We got lucky in New Orleans and I just thought it was a good series,” Casse said of option to send Pappacap to Lecomte. The trainer also credits success with War of Will, who returned to win the Risen Star Stakes award presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) at the Fair Grounds.
Lecomte, running at 1/16 mile, was part of the Road to the Kentucky series and provided qualifying points on a 10-4-2-1 scale towards a spot in the Kentucky Derby. presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). Pappacap is currently at the top of the table with 12 points.
Casse also noted that Palazzi, who timed: 59 3/5 Sunday, the third fastest of the day, was about a month away from his return to the races. Pioneerof the Nile colt won the 2021 Texas Turf Mile Stakes at Sam Houston Racing Park and is located in the Kentucky Utilities Transylvania Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland. He last raced in September at Kentucky Downs, finishing the table in the Derby Big Ass Fans Dueling Grounds.
