Elysian Field Leads Casse Trifecta in Seaway

2023 Woodbine Oaks winner Elysian Field handled the cutback to seven furlongs with aplomb, leading a 1-2-3 finish for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse in the Aug. 23 Seaway Stakes (G3) at Woodbine. Making her second start after an eight-month layoff in the $129,518 Seaway, Elysian Field raced near the back of the pack during the race's early stages as her stablemates Olivia Rose and Stormcast led the way through opening splits of :22.42 and :44.68. Jockey Pietro Moran got to work on Elysian Field advancing into the far turn, and the daughter of Hard Spun picked off her foes one by one as the field rolled into the stretch. Rallying four-wide, Elysian Field overhauled Stormcast in the final sixteenth with a closing Ticker Tape Home on her heels. Elysian Field ($9) crossed the wire a length ahead of last year's Seaway winner, Ticker Tape Home, in a final time of 1:21.87 on the synthetic main track. Lighthouse Racing's Stormcast held on for third in her first race since capturing the Bessabarian Stakes (G3) last November. A two-time graded stakes winner, Elysian Field was voted Canada's champion 3-year-old filly in 2023. The 5-year-old, a $70,000 buy from the Ocala Stud consignment at the 2022 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company June Two-Year-Olds & Horses of Racing Age Sale, runs for owners Gary Barber and Team Valor International.