OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Mark Casse had just arrived at an airport across the street from a racetrack Thursday afternoon. On this day, at least, he was at the wrong airport across from the wrong racetrack.
While he was gathering his belongings at Lexington’s Blue Grass Airport across from Keeneland, Casse watched on electronic devices as his horses won consecutive races at Aqueduct, capped by Final Accord’s one-length victory in the Grade 3, $175,000 Matron Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on turf.
“We do have a couple of things going on in Kentucky this week,” said Casse, who flew up from Ocala, Fla., to Kentucky, where he will run Ewing and Nitrogen in Grade 1 stakes at Keeneland this weekend.
Casse can only hope things go as well there as they did Thursday at Aqueduct. One race after the 2-year-old colt Behold the King won a maiden turf race, Final Accord came with a late run under Junior Alvarado to rally from fifth and beat favored Royal Testament by a length in the six-furlong Matron.
The victory came just three weeks after Final Accord beat males in a five-furlong turf maiden race at Woodbine.
Ironically, Final Accord wound up on turf at Woodbine on Sept. 11 after she got scratched out of a maiden dirt race on Aug. 2 at Saratoga because she wasn’t warming up well. Casse deduced that Final Accord tied up, similar to muscle cramps, and ultimately was happy she was scratched.
“I sent her to Toronto and she won and she was very impressive. She beat colts that day,” Casse said. “I thought this race was good. She needs a little bit more ground.”
Final Accord needed and benefited from a contested pace in the Matron. Should’ve, who stumbled at the break, was rushed to a forward position by Joel Rosario and ran a half-mile in 44.60 seconds while pursued by Catalonia. Alvarado had Final Accord in the second flight of three horses but was content to wait when Royal Testament and Just Philtored went to attain a closer position.
Should’ve maintained a clear advantage until inside the sixteenth pole, and though Royal Testament got first run on her, Final Accord went by both of them to get the victory. Royal Testament, under Eric Cancel, just got her nose down in front of Should’ve to get second.
“On paper, it looked like there was a lot of speed. They just left it up to me. I think the filly was very good today,” Alvarado said. “She behaved in the post parade, which is always a good sign with a 2-year-old, and she delivered.”
Alvarado did say that Final Accord leaned in a little bit in the stretch and tried to idle when she made the front.
“I could feel her putting the brakes on me there, but I’ll take it as a good sign, because there’s a lot to move forward from that,” Alvarado said.
Final Accord, a 2-year-old daughter of War of Will owned by Peter Deutsch and Gary Barber, covered the six furlongs in 1:08.47 and returned $13.76. Casse said he would consider trying to stretch Final Accord out further in distance in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, a one-mile race at Del Mar on Oct. 31.
“She wants more ground. She’s a pretty good horse. I think the Grade 3 [victory] will get her in,” Casse said.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.