Northern Passion, one of four starters for trainer Mark Casse, rallied from last, ran down Dayatthespa in mid-stretch, and went on to take the $235,100 Natalma Stakes (Can-IIIT)by 1 1/4 lengths Sept. 17 at Woodbine.
With Luis Contreras aboard, Northern Passion used an inside trip for her first stakes victory, in the process clinching a berth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IIT) Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs. The daughter of First Samurai is owned by John Oxley. She was bred in Ontario by Mel P. Lawson.
Casse won the one-mile Natalma for the third time in the last six years.