Northern Passion heads to Churchill Downs early to try it on dirt for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
The 2-year-old daughter of First Samurai, out of A Touch Of Glory by Golden Gear, Northern Passion is guaranteed a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, but trainer Mark Casse wants to see how Northern Passion will train on Churchill Downs' dirt
track.
Hence, the early arrival to Churchill Downs, as Northern Passion will be Woodbine’s first potential Breeders’ Cup representative this year so far.
John Oxley owned Northern Passion broke her maiden at Woodbine in her first attempt, under jockey L Contreras, over a distance of 5 ½ furlongs, on Poly Track on 9 July, 2011, with a winning time of 1 minute and 4.12 seconds.
Next, she was called to run in the Ontario Debutante Stakes over Woodbine’s Poly Track, at about 6 ½ furlongs on 13 August, 2011, but the young filly tasted her first defeat at the hands of Tu Endie Wei, who went on to win the stakes' race with a winning
time of 1 minute and 16.53 seconds.
However, the race that enabled Northern Passion to earn a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf was the Grade 3 Natalma Stakes, a one mile turf race for 2-year-old fillies.
The Natalma Stakes, other than offering a grade 3 status and a purse of $200,000, also gives away an automatic fee-paid berth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, because the race is part of the “Win and You’re In” Breeders’ Cup series.
Northern Passion is turning out to be a versatile filly, and she has already won on two different surfaces. She has gone early there because they want to test her out to see if she does well on Churchill Downs' dirt track.
Trainer Mark Casse is of the view that the runners who are accustomed to running on the Poly Track surface can do well at Churchill Down. It might be a long shot but it’s worth a shot if they can get Northern Passion to run on the dirt track in the Juvenile
Fillies.
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