Mark Casse hopes Coinage can rebound in the Manila Stakes

D.J. Stable, Chester Broman, Sr. and Mary Broman’s Grade 3 winner Coinage will turn his focus to the $100,000 Manila on July 4 at Belmont Park after a disappointing eighth-place finish in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs on May 7. The chestnut son of Tapit breezed a half mile in 48.88 seconds over the Belmont main track on Saturday.

“He went well and was going easy,” said Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.

Casse said Coinage, who broke poorly in the American Turf, was hindered by the commotion and noise of the large crowd in attendance at Churchill.

“His last start was on Derby Day and he got pretty fired up with the crowd. He was kicking and kicking. He actually went in the gate and was kicking and that’s why he broke so bad,” said Casse. “For him to be successful, he needs to be on the pace or very close to it. So he broke a little slow. If it could go wrong, it did. It was just a mess.”

Out of Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Bar of Gold, the New York-bred Coinage made his first three outings on dirt before a successful turf debut in the With Anticipation (G3) at Saratoga Race Course in September. He went on to earn a pair of two Grade 3 placings in the Kitten’s Joy on February 22 and Transylvania on April 8 with a gutsy neck victory in the Palm Beach coming in between those efforts on March 5.

Gary Barber’s Make Mischief returned to stakes-winning ways in the Critical Eye Handicap on May 30 over Big Sandy with a resounding four-length victory over multiple stakes-winner Bank Sting in the one-mile test for state-bred fillies and mares.

The Into Mischief bay allowed Mashnee Girl to take command for the first half-mile, but easily reeled in her foe and extended her margins throughout the remaining half-mile to score her first stakes win since the 2021 Maddie May. She earned graded black type with a close third in the Acorn (G1) last year, as well as a third in the Eight Belles (G2).

Casse said Make Mischief will face open company again in the Princess Rooney (G2) sprinting seven furlongs on July 2 at Gulfstream Park.

“She’s actually going to run in the Princess Rooney this weekend,” said Casse. “She’s definitely shown some really big efforts. She’s shown she can do it with New York-breds, so we’re trying to get her some [more] graded black type.”

The talented Pappacap has run second to the undefeated Jack Christopher in his last two outings, finishing 3 3/4 lengths behind his familiar foe in the Pat Day Mile (G2) on Derby Day at Churchill and 10 lengths back in the Woody Stephens (G1) presented by Mohegan Sun on June 11, an effort in which he bested graded stakes winners Wit and Morello.

A Florida homebred for Rustlewood Farm, Pappacap has consistently run well against the best in his division, earning a graded victory in the Best Pal (G2) in August at Del Mar and posting a pair of Grade 1 runner-up efforts to juvenile champion Corniche in the American Pharoah and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Casse indicated the son of Gun Runner will continue sprinting at Saratoga and target the $200,000 Amsterdam (G2) on July 31 with his sights set on the $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) on August 27.

“We’ll run him in the Amsterdam and cut him back a little bit more and keep him away from Jack Christopher,” said Casse. “I think Jack Christopher’s performance takes the spotlight away from Pappacap beating a bunch of good horses. We’re going to run him in the Amsterdam in hopes of trying the Allen Jerkens. I’ve always been very impressed by him. He’s already won the Best Pal and was second in a bunch of Grade 1s, but there’s a Grade 1 out there somewhere with his name on it.”

Casse has high hopes for several juvenile maiden winners in his barn, including the well-bred filly Wonder Wheel, who graduated at first asking in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on June 3 at Churchill Downs.

Out of the multiple graded stakes-placed New York-bred Wonder Gal, Wonder Wheel worked a bullet half-mile in 46.40 over the Churchill main track on Saturday in preparation for the six-furlong Debutante on July 4 at Churchill.

Casse also indicated that several of his juveniles are possible for graded stakes at Saratoga, potentially pointing recent Woodbine debut maiden winners Adora and Me and My Shadow to the $175,000 Schuylerville (G3) on the July 14 Opening Day Card.

Boppy O, a 2-year-old Bolt d’Oro half-brother to Pappacap, and Stayhonor Goodside, who was entered and scratched from the $150,000 Tremont on June 10 at Belmont, are both possible for the $175,000 Sanford (G3) on July 16.

Stayhonor Goodside, an Honor Code dark bay for D.J. Stable, graduated at first asking in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden on May 21 over the Woodbine synthetic. He was withdrawn from the Tremont after a poor post position draw.

“I had him in but he drew the one hole and I just decided not to run there,” said Casse.

An $85,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Stayhonor Goodside is out of the multiple stakes-placed Tethra mare Nicki Knew, making him a half-brother to juvenile stakes-winner Imperial Dream.