Trainer Mark Casse sent three undefeated juveniles into the Victoria Stakes at Woodbine, and Casson (Caravaggio) emerged as the last man standing of that group to keep his perfect record intact by a clear margin.
A four-length winner on unveiling May 11 against local maidens, the gray was a 7-2 chance against his stablemates Jupiter (Upstart) and the flashy Rude Procedure (Authentic). The former went off as the 6-5 favorite and the latter was 2-1.
In no rush initially, Casson had a head on Valley of Kings (Classic Empire) while rating four wide at the :22.79 first quarter, then asserted sole command entering the bend as Rude Procedure tried to match strides. In full flight for the wire by the time they reached the top of the stretch, the victor sailed home by 2 1/2 lengths as Jupiter overtook Rude Procedure in the late yards to nab second, giving Casse the trifecta in the race.
“He broke a little slow,” said winning rider Rafael Hernandez. “He was outside, so he broke a little bit out, and when I tapped him in the shoulder, he started picking up. So, I let him cruise.
“My horse was just kind of waiting for me to start moving there to give me a second gear. I had total confidence.”
The winner's dam, who hails from the same family as 2010 GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes winner Wickedly Perfect (Congrats), has a yearling colt by Authentic and an Apr. 5-foaled filly by Arabian Lion.
#6 CASSON ($9.20) looked great while winning the $125,000 Victoria Stakes at @WoodbineTB. The juvenile Caravaggio colt had Rafael Hernandez aboard for @markecasse. pic.twitter.com/BEwfR4xurQ
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) July 12, 2025
VICTORIA S., C$140,000, Woodbine, 7-12, 2yo, 5 1/2f (AWT), 1:04.31, ft.
1–CASSON, 122, c, 2, by Caravaggio
1st Dam: Zee Ro Drop, by Lemon Drop Kid
2nd Dam: Ash Zee, by Exchange Rate
3rd Dam: Wickedly Wise, by Tactical Cat
($200,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Manfred
and Penny Conrad; B-Ballycroy Training Centre & Villa Rosa
Farms (ON); T-Mark E. Casse; J-Rafael Manuel Hernandez.
C$90,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $104,735.
2–Jupiter, 122, c, 2, Upstart–Magnanimous, by Karakontie
(Jpn). ($50,000 Wlg '23 KEENOV; $100,000 RNA 2yo '25
OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-D. J. Stable LLC; B-David Schwartz (KY);
T-Mark E. Casse. C$25,000.
3–Rude Procedure, 122, c, 2, Authentic–Madison Kat, by
Discreetly Mine. ($72,000 RNA Ylg '24 KEESEP; $50,000 RNA
2yo '25 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Linda B. Roach,
Robert S. Fetkin, and Small Batch Thoroughbreds (KY);
T-Mark E. Casse. C$13,750.
Margins: 2HF, 2 3/4, 4 3/4. Odds: 3.60, 1.35, 2.15.
Also Ran: Fistfulofmoney, Valley of Kings. Scratched: Souper Sporty.
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