Sweet Cassiopeia on a Roll for Connelly

When owners-breeders Steve Snowden and Dan Considine decided to bring Sweet Cassiopeia to the United States after beginning her career with 10 starts at Woodbine, it was a welcome addition to trainer Bill Connelly’s barn.

 

“I had trained for them and I trained her mother (My Sweet Caroline) for them,” said Connelly, who will send Sweet Cassiopeia to the post Saturday afternoon to face 10 rivals in the $65,000 Unbridled Sidney at five furlongs on the Matt Winn Turf Course. “They just wanted to bring her out of Canada.”

 

Under Connelly’s care, Sweet Cassiopeia has run off five consecutive victories with the most recent coming in the Giant’s Causeway on April 20 at Keeneland.

 

“I had just seen her run on TV before I got her,” said Connelly, adding that the initial impression was very favorable.

 

In her first start for Connelly, Sweet Cassiopeia finished second in a stake at Presque Isle Downs. After winning a stake on dirt at Mountaineer, Sweet Cassiopeia returned to the all-weather surface at Presque Isle and finished fifth behind champion Groupie Doll in the Masters (GII).

 

That was her last loss. Victories at Presque Isle and Keeneland followed before Sweet Cassiopeia closed 2012 with a turf victory at Churchill Downs.

 

“She got a break after that and that was design,” Connelly said of the 5-year-old mare, who returned with a victory on March 27 at Gulfstream Park.

  

Corey Lanerie, who has been aboard for three of the victories in the five-race streak, will have the mount Saturday.