Having already experienced victory at Royal Ascot, Mark Casse may return for more after Bullet delivered a decisive finishing punch in the $106,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies Stakes.
In 2016, Casse backed Tepin to win the Queen Anne Stakes at the Royal meeting. His daughter, War Front, secured a spot in one of the six juvenile races at the summer festival by earning a significant Gulfstream qualifying, and now Casse has paid for her journey to the UK.
Taking the lead for the first time in the five-furlong race, Bullet started off slowly but still had the entire field to pass as she entered the home straight. She then easily won the first prize.
“You really can’t print what I was thinking after the start,” Casse added. “She’s been kind of on the ‘A’ team for us from the beginning. She’s not a real big filly, she’s just beautiful, and we sent her down there kind of thinking about this race. And for her to overcome such adversity in her first start speaks volumes for her.”
Now that she had the opportunity, she might attempt to emulate the achievements of Crimson Advocate, who won this event before winning the Queen Mary Stakes at the royal meeting.
Casse added: “I’ve been fortunate enough to win at Royal Ascot and it’s really quite a thing. We’ll discuss all the pros and cons about making the trip, but it would be great to go back again.”
Emisael Jaramillo, who was also riding Jose D'Angelo's Gabaldon in the other Ascot qualifying race on the card, the $120,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes, was the rider of Bullet that won.
D’Angelo is also eyeing a cross-channel trip to the UK and said: “He always showed he was very professional from the first time. I was looking for a horse to try to go to Royal Ascot and he was the one that was ready. So I tried him on the grass to see if he could handle it. Chester Bishop, one of the owners, said he checked his pedigree and told me he can handle it. And he was right.”