Conquest Two Step El Cajon Favorite

Mark Casse-trained Conquest Two Step, a fast-closing second in a six-furlong optional-claiming race in his Del Mar debut on August 10, is  the 3-1 morning line favorite for Friday’s one mile $100,000 El Cajon Stakes for 3-year-olds.

A field of 10, and one also eligible, was entered for the main track event for 3-year-olds. The draw put the top three choices in oddmaker Russ Hudak’s morning line in posts 8-9-10, with Conquest Two Step inside of Big Tire (7-2) and Red Outlaw (9-2).

Conquest Two Step, a son of Two Step Salsa, was purchased for $420,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale in April of 2013. He has a win and three seconds from five starts with earnings of $71,008.

“He’s a horse we paid a lot of money for and we’ve always had a lot of high hopes for,” Casse said Thursday. “He beat Ride On Curlin (winning) first time out at Churchill Downs then injured himself after his second start (in July of 2013). It has taken him a little time to come around, but I thought his last race was great.

“We’re still trying to figure out if he’s a come-from-behind sprinter or can he get two turns? That’s what we’re going to find out tomorrow.”

The field from the rail out: Knock Em Flat (Tiago Pereira, 8-1), Daraybi (Fernando Perez, 12-1), Toowindytohaulrox (Mike Smith, 6-1), Friendswith K Mill (Tyler Baze, 12-1), Diamond Bachelor (Julien Couton, 6-1), Home School (Elvis Trujillo, 8-1), Indexical (Mario Gutierrez, 15-1), Conquest Two Step (Joe Talamo, 3-1), Big Tire (Rafael Bejarano, 7-2), Red Outlaw (Edwin Maldonado, 9-2) and Van Fraassen (Victor Espinoza, 20-1).                    

Source: Del Mar