Another Summer ‘Conquest?’

Two Septembers ago, trainer Mark Casse somewhat audaciously entered Conquest Stables’ My Conquestadory (Artie Schiller) for her career debut against the boys in the GII Summer S., and the filly validated that decision with a 3 1/4-length victory. Conquest Typhoon (Stormy Atlantic) made it two straight in the race for Ernie Semersky and Dory Newell’s operation and first-time starter Conquest Enforcer (Into Mischief) will look to complete the hat trick in this year’s Summer, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race for the GI Juvenile Turf.

A $210,000 graduate of last year’s Fasig-Tipton July sale, the half-brother to the multiple stakes-placed Keen Gizmo (Giant Gizmo)–from this same Storm Cat sire line–has trained nicely on the grass and over the synthetic, earning the Polytrack five-furlong bullet (:59 flat, 1/32) Aug. 26. Connections must like what they have seen in the colt, as they snapped up a Court Vision half-sister to Conquest Enforcer for a sales-topping C$150,000 at the CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale Sept. 8.

Conquest Daddyo (Scat Daddy), the other Conquest colorbearer, cost $350,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale and has made a favorable impression in his two starts, including a running-on second in the restricted Vandal S. on the main track Aug. 15.

Hollywood Hideaway (Zensational) is possessed of a pedigree familiar to Canadian racing afficionados. A son of U.S. Grade II-placed and French Listed-placed Kalosca (Fr) (Kaldoun {Fr}), this Bruce Lunsford homebred is a half-sister to Arravale (Arch), the nation’s Horse of the Year and Sovereign Award-winning grass mare in 2006. Arravale’s daugher Nancy O (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) was third in the 2012 running of the Natalma. Winner–via disqualification–of the six-furlong Victoria S. over this turf course June 20, Hollywood Hideaway was an excuse-free fourth behind Riker (Include) in the July 25 Colin S. on the Polytrack. The latter validated that effort with a front-running victory in the Swynford S. Sept. 5.

Hammers Vision (Court Vision) defeated Manhattan Dan (Big Brown) in a grassy six-furlong Belmont maiden July 19 from which four horses returned to graduate in their next start. The Ontario-bred switched to the main track for the GII Saratoga Special S. Aug. 16 to be a clear third and adds Lasix for this return to the infield.

Manhattan Dan was one of the aforementioned next-out winners and will stretch out to the mile off a gate-to-wire graduation going 5 1/2 furlongs at Saratoga Aug. 19.