Woodbine: Casse wins Seagram Cup, Ontario Colleen

Paramount Prince reigned supreme once again, this time in the Grade 2, US$126,541 Seagram Cup on Saturday at Woodbine, where Mark Casse also trained Time to Dazzle’s victory in the Colleen Ontario (G3).

Sent off as the 6-5 choice, Paramount Prince left from the outside post in the eight-horse field. He was hustled to the front by Patrick Husbands soon after the gates opened in the 1 1/16-mile Tapeta event for 3-year-olds and up. Stanley House settled into second followed by Volcanic and County Final.

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On top by two lengths over Stanley House through an opening quarter-mile in 24.69 seconds, Paramount Prince held the same advantage after a half-mile was reached in 48.81 seconds.

Heading into the turn for home, Stanley House amped up the pressure to the outside of last year’s King’s Plate winner, but Paramount Prince under little urging dashed away from his rivals in early stretch.

In front by five lengths at the stretch call, the gelded 4-year-old son of Society’s Chairman cruised to a 5 1/2-length triumph with a time of 1:43.37. A game Stanley House battled back to finish second, a head in front of Wicked Django. Palazzi, a stablemate of Paramount Prince, was a farther neck back in fourth. Money Supply was scratched.

“He’s having so much fun right now,” Husbands said. “He’s enjoying everything coming over here, and he’s growing up. He’s getting bigger and bigger. He’s the type of horse who has got a high cruising speed. He’s just got one ear forward and one ear back. You can play with him. The more you push him the faster he goes.”

Bred in Ontario by Ericka Rusnak, Paramount Prince is owned by Gary Barber and Mike Langlois. He was a US$16,926 purchase at the 2021 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society sale.

“I just can’t believe this horse,” Langlois said. “He’s got character, a personality of his own. I love that guy to death. I visit him every week. I talk to him. He’s like a family pet, and I think he loves us as much as we love him.

“There’s just something about him. He’s an incredible horse. They don’t come like that every day. Being new in the in the race business, I know how lucky we are and how blessed we are to have such an amazing horse.”

Paramount Prince, who arrived at the Seagram Cup off his first graded success in the Dominion Day (G3) on June 23, returned $4.50 for Saturday’s victory.

The Sovereign Award winner as Canada’s champion 3-year-old male is now 12: 6-2-3.

Time to Dazzle dominates Ontario Colleen

Time to Dazzle did exactly that, leading nearly every step of the way in taking the US$97,617 Ontario Colleen by 4 1/2 lengths.

Ridden to victory by Sahin Civaci, the roan daughter of Not This Time earned her victory in the one-mile turf event for 3-year-old fillies. Simply in Front was second, and Uphill Dance was third. Rosa was scratched.

The final time over a turf course listed as good was 1:33.57.

“I wasn’t expecting her to be on the lead,” Civaci said. “But she popped up really good, and she was comfortable up there. The fractions were decent. They weren’t slow by any means, but she was going easy, and she held on.”

It was the third career score and first stakes triumph from six starts for Time to Dazzle, who is trained by Casse for owner Tracy Farmer.

“She’s matured a lot,” Civaci said. “When I first rode her, she was a little green. But she’s a quality horse, and she ran really impressively today. She was much more focused and very good.”

Time to Dazzle, who broke her maiden at first asking in September at Woodbine, came into the Ontario Colleen off a sixth-place finish in the Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park in March.

Bred in Kentucky by Dr. Rodney Orr, Time to Dazzle was a US$310,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland Association September yearling sale.

She paid $24.70 for the Ontario Colleen score.