By Canadian Press

Trainer Casse says $1-million Queen’s Plate remains on God of Love’s radar

Mar 18, 2022 | 2:17 PM

God of Love remains on the Kentucky Derby Trail but trainer Mark Casse says the $1-million Queen’s Plate is still very much on the three-year-old’s radar.

The Ontario-bred horse is slated to run in the Grade 3 US$600,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks on April 2 at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky. The 1 1/8-mile race will be God of Love’s second this year following a sixth-place finish in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 12.

God of Love was scheduled to make his 2022 debut the week before in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York. But the threat of poor weather forced Casse to change those plans.

“It is,” Casse said when asked if the Plate, slated for Aug. 21 at Woodbine Racetrack, remains a viable option this year for God of Love. “I’d think he’d love the mile and a quarter (Plate distance over Woodbine’ Racetrack’s Tapeta course).”

The Queen’s Plate is the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown. It’s Canada’s most prestigious horse race as well as being North America’s oldest continuously run stakes event.

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Casse has two career Plate victories, both coming with fillies. He captured his first in 2014 with Lexie Lou before adding the ’18 edition with Wonder Gadot.

Wonder Gadot is the last of the 37 fillies to win the Plate.

Casse, 14 times Canada’s top trainer, won a leading 110 races at Woodbine last year. He’s a finalist for the Sovereign Award as the country’s top conditioner with Kevin Attard and Josie Carroll.

God of Love is one of three Casse-trained horses attempting to qualify for the US$3-million Kentucky Derby. The 1 1/4-mile opening jewel of the American Triple Crown is scheduled for May 7 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Casse’s other Derby contenders include Pappacap and Golden Glider, both American-bred three-year-old colts. Pappacap stands 13th in the ’22 Road to the Kentucky Derby standings while Golden Glider is 37th.

The ’22 Road to the Kentucky Derby is a series of races through which horses qualify for a position in the starting gate. The Jeff Ruby Steaks will be one of those events, with the top-four finishers earning Derby points (100–40–20–10).

And Casse said the Derby also remains on God of Love’s radar.

“It is,” he said. “Obviously, he’d have to perform extremely well in his next start.”

Casse, an Indianapolis native, is a member of both the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame4  and the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in the U.S.

Another Plate hopeful for Casse is Sir For Sure, who secured a first career victory Feb. 5 at Gulfstream Park. It was the horse’s first three-year-old start after finishing second and fourth in his two races as a two-year-old, which both were at Woodbine in 2021.

“I have some other (Plate) prospects, but God of Love would be my No. 1 right now,” Casse said.

Also on April 2, Casse plans to run filly Mrs. Barbara in the US$150,000 Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway. The dark bay three-year-old is owned by Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson and is coming off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks on March 3 at Tampa Bay.

A positive sign for Mrs Barbara was closing on end of a slow pace in her first race following a layoff of over three months.

Mrs. Barbara ran six times as a two-year-old, winning twice, including the Grade 3 Mazarine Stakes on Nov. 28. With Rafael Hernandez aboard, Mrs. Barbara topped a nine-horse field over 1 1/16th miles on Woodbine’s Tapeta course.

God of Love is a strong contender as champion two-year-old in Canada while Mrs. Barbara is a top challenger for champion two-year-old filly honours.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 18, 2022.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press