TORONTO, October 31, 2020 – After an early three-way tussle for the top spot that lasted into the final turn, Not So Quiet emerged with a clear lead in the stretch to win the $100,000 Overskate Stakes co-featured on Saturday at Woodbine.
Fresh off a victory in the Vice Regent Stakes earlier this month, the five-year-old son of Silent Name now boasts back-to-back stakes wins under Rafael Hernandez for Woodbine’s meet-leading trainer Mark Casse and owner Heste Sport Inc.
Not So Quiet crossed to command from post seven with Eskiminzin pressing the pace through a :24.22 quarter before being joined by Red Cabernet on top in the 7-1/2-furlong sprint on the inner turf.
Those three raced past the half-mile in :48.24 and turned for home with Not So Quiet eventually drawing clear and holding off a wall of rivals including runner-up Royal Laser, the 2-1 favourite coming off back-to-back wins. Not So Quiet won the Ontario Sired Stakes event in 1:31.03 by three-quarters of a length.
Red Cabernet finished less than a length behind nosing out Dun Drum for third, while defending champion Dixie’s Gamble completed the top five finish order in his season’s debut.
“I tried to make sure I stayed there and kept my position with the other two horses,” said Hernandez. “Turning for home, he just did what he does: he just kept rolling.
“He’s got a lot of heart. This horse, I’ve been running a long time before. I broke his maiden I believe and he’s always a good horse.”
Not So Quiet, who paid $8.40 to win as the 3-1 second choice, boasts a 50 per cent win rate in a dozen races.
Hernandez leads all jockeys for stakes wins at the Woodbine meet and Casse tops the trainer standings with 14 titles each.
The victory completed a training triple on the 11-race card for Casse as he inches closer to the 3,000 career win milestone.