Woodbine Racecourse will host the $150,000 Royal North Stakes (G3T) on Saturday, with trainer Mark Casse sending out three in-form contenders as Bessie Abott (IRE), Shifty and Without Cause prepare to take on a competitive field of fillies and mares.
Royal North Stakes 2026 Preview
The Royal North Stakes 2026 preview centres around the Casse-trained trio, each arriving with strong credentials and recent winning form ahead of the 7 ½-furlong inner turf contest.
The 11-horse field, along with one also-eligible runner, features a mix of established performers and rising talents, but much of the attention will be on the trio sharing the same stable colours in the starting gate.
Bessie Abott (IRE) enters the race on the back of two victories and will make her seasonal debut as well as her first stakes appearance at Woodbine. The daughter of Kuroshio, bred from the Invincible Spirit mare Supreme Spirit, ended last season with a pair of determined performances.
After finishing runner-up in the 2025 Wonder Again Stakes (G3) at Saratoga, the bay filly returned to Woodbine and captured a seven-furlong event before following up with another narrow success over the same trip.
“She has had time off over the winter, so she is fresh and we think she is ready,” assistant trainer Kathryn Sullivan said. “We thought she was very impressive last year. Both efforts were strong and she showed a great deal of determination.”
Owned by Gary Barber and Team Valor International LLC, Bessie Abott has recorded three wins and three seconds from eight starts, with career earnings of $178,018. Sullivan believes her size could work in her favour on Woodbine’s inner turf.
“She isn’t a very big filly, but that may play to her strength running on the inner turf,” Sullivan added. “She always gives an honest effort.”
Shifty arrives with one of the strongest recent records in the field. The four-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro has placed in the top three in each of her last nine starts, including three wins, three seconds and three thirds during that stretch.
She enters the Royal North after back-to-back victories on the main track, including a seven-and-three-quarter-length combined winning margin across those efforts.
“She is just so consistent,” Sullivan said. “Every time she goes out there, you know exactly what to expect. She gives that 100 per cent effort you look for.”
Shifty began her career on the E.P. Taylor turf before earning a victory in the Catch A Glimpse Stakes. She later competed in major Canadian filly events, finishing third in the Fury Stakes and runner-up in both the Woodbine Oaks and Bison City Stakes before returning to turf competition.
Bred by Anderson Farms Ontario Inc., Shifty has earned $385,638 from 14 starts.
Without Cause completes the Casse trio and will make her third appearance at Woodbine for Ironhorse Racing Stable LLC and T-N-T Equine Holdings LLC.
The five-year-old daughter of Omaha Beach returned to form with a strong performance earlier this year, rebounding from a sixth-place finish in her season opener with a determined neck victory over the Belmont outer turf.
“She is a beautiful filly, lovely in every sense,” Sullivan said. “She worked hard to get the win last time out and it showed exactly what she is all about.”
Without Cause owns a record of three wins, two seconds and two thirds from 12 starts, with earnings of $171,739. She was bred in Kentucky by Stoneway Farm.
The Casse-trained runners will line up together, with Bessie Abott (IRE) starting from gate three, Shifty from four and Without Cause from five.
Recent training reports have been positive. Bessie Abott covered five furlongs in 1:00.20 on June 17, while Shifty completed four furlongs in :48.40 on June 20. Without Cause recorded a sharp four-furlong move in :46.60 on June 17.
The Royal North Stakes also carries a historic connection, having been named after Royal North, a talented mare who won seven consecutive races between 1978 and 1979.
The full field for the $150,000 Royal North Stakes includes Equitas, Fantastical, Bessie Abott (IRE), Shifty, Without Cause, Ribaltagaia, Pondering, Reagan’s Flame, Ozara (IRE), Scat Girl, Uphill Dance and also-eligible Quadruple (GB).
The race will bring together a group of accomplished turf performers, with the Casse trio looking to continue their strong run of form on Woodbine’s summer racing calendar.
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