By Alan Carasso
Trainer Mark Casse had won the GI Natalma Stakes no fewer than seven times dating back to Woodford Racing's Sprung (Grand Slam) back in 2006, but he had not succeeded since 2016, when Victory to Victory (Exchange Rate) carried the silks of Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Stud.
The Hall of Famer had every chance to add to that total and snap the drought in Saturday's renewal, as he saddled six of the 11 juvenile fillies that went postward, and when all was said and done, the stable accounted for the top three and four of the first five, led by Live Oak's And One More Time (Omaha Beach).
Never a factor when seventh as the favorite on Churchill debut June 26, the $750,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase turned it around in no uncertain terms last time, running away to take a rained-off Saratoga maiden by nearly five lengths Aug. 8, leaving three next-out winners in her wake.
Trying the grass and stretching out to the mile for the first time at overlaid odds in this 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, And One More Time bounced well from a middle gate and took up a pace-pressing position, as her D J Stable-owned stablemates Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) and Vixen (Vekoma) bracketed her up front. Nitrogen continued to take them along at a solid clip and turned them in to the long Woodbine straight, and although she shifted in and hopped onto her wrong lead, still held the call into the final furlong. Vixen loomed up widest of the trio appearing to go best of all, but And One More Time boxed on doggedly between rivals to score narrowly.
Godolphin's Mountain Breeze (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) drifted back to near-enough last from her wide alley and never truly reached contention, finishing eighth.
“You know, when I asked her down the lane, she didn't care where she was,” said winning rider Rafael Hernandez, who won the 2022 edition of the Natalma with Last Call (English Channel). “She just does her job, and you don't get intimidated.”
Pedigree Notes:
And One More Time continued a purple patch of form for Spendthrift-based sire, who was being represented by his first elite-level scorer, third graded and ninth black-type winner. In recent weeks, Omaha Beach's daughter Caitlinhergrtness beat the boys in the King's Plate over the local synthetic surface, while E J Won the Cup added the St. Louis Derby to his previous success in the Texas Derby. The filly is the second Grade I winner (Forte), 14th graded winner and 25 stakes winner out of a daughter of Blame.
And One More Time's family has picked up plenty of steam this year owing to the exploits of Honor D Lady (Honor Code), who recently picked up the third graded stakes of her career in the GII Delaware Handicap. The winner's year-older half-sister Simply In Front (Summer Front), runner-up in last year's Natalma, has also done her part with a last-to-first victory in the $1.76-million GII Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs Sept. 7. Third dam Educated Risk was herself a Grade I-winner at two, taking out the 1992 Frizette Stakes, and her half-sister Inside Information (Private Account) was named the Eclipse champion older female after demolishing the field in the 1995 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff.
Complicated is the dam of a yearling War Front filly that was sold to Claiborne Farm for $300,000 at this year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, and a colt foal by Golden Pal. She was most recently bred to Not This Time.
Saturday, Woodbine
JOHNNIE WALKER NATALMA S.-GI, C$502,500, Woodbine, 9-14, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:33.99, fm.
1–AND ONE MORE TIME, 121, f, 2, by Omaha Beach
1st Dam: Complicated, by Blame
2nd Dam: Consequence, by El Prado (Ire)
3rd Dam: Educated Risk, by Mr. Prospector
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($750,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG). O-Live Oak Plantation; B-William Harrigan & Mike Pietrangelo (KY); T-Mark E. Casse; J-Rafael Manuel Hernandez. C$300,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $276,308. *1/2 to Honor D Lady (Honor Code), MGSW-USA, MGSP-Can, $708,167, Churchtown (Air Force Blue), SW-USA, SP-Can, $373,259 and Simply in Front (Summer Front), GSW-USA, GISP-Can, $1,391,088. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Vixen, 121, f, 2, by Vekoma
1st Dam: Top Mission, by Noble Mission (GB)
2nd Dam: Top Spin, by Street Cry (Ire)
3rd Dam: Let, by A.P. Indy
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($57,000 Ylg '23 KEEJAN; $22,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $200,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-D. J. Stable LLC; B-Jason Edward Howard (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. C$100,000.
3–Nitrogen, 121, f, 2, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: Tiffany Case (SP), by Uncle Mo
2nd Dam: Biblical Point, by Point Given
3rd Dam: Bibical Sense, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-D. J. Stable, LLC (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. C$50,000.
Margins: NK, HF, 2HF. Odds: 16.70, 6.15, 41.35.
Also Ran: Italian Soiree, Ready to Battle, Annascaul, Ready for Candy, Mountain Breeze (Ire), Will Reign, Thread, Arctic Velocity. Scratched: Latin Fever (Ire), Winterberry.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
AND ONE MORE TIME ($35.40) showed her grit in a stretch long battle in the $500,000 Natalma Stakes (G1) at @woodbinetb. The Omaha Beach (@spendthriftfarm) 2yo was trained by @markecasse, Rafael Hernandez up. She stamps her ticket into the @BreedersCup Juvenile Fillies Turf! pic.twitter.com/ipwwDZJmgJ
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) September 14, 2024
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