By Tim Wilkin
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It has been a sizzling start to the Saratoga summer for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. Horses from his barn have done little wrong in the first 11 days of the 40-day meet at Saratoga Race Course.
Casse has started 19 horses so far and has visited the winner's circle six times. He also has three second-place finishes and one third.
Without question this is the best start he has ever had at the Spa.
“Oh, by far,” Casse said at his barn on the Saratoga backstretch Thursday morning. “This place has haunted me over the years. But, I have to tell you, when the dust clears, we usually end up having good meets.”
If the first quarter of the meet is any indication, Casse could have a great meet.
In the last nine years, the most wins Casse has had at Saratoga has been 10. That happened twice, in 2019 and 2016.
Before the meet started, Casse handicapped the condition book and thought his barn might do some good in the early days.
“You can never predict you are going to have the start we have had,” he said. “I thought for the first couple weeks, we were going to run favorites, or close to it. We were going to run live horses. Most of our horses have shown up. When you win, you win. When you lose, you learn.”
Another factor for the early success was Casse had horses at Saratoga early. Because of the Belmont Stakes Festival at Saratoga last month, Casse had horses that were in town early.
On opening day, Run for the Hills (Runhappy), a 5-year-old mare, won. Last Saturday, 5-year-old gelding Full Screen (Big Screen) was another winner.
“They had been here for a month versus coming in four or five days ahead of time,” Casse said. “Makes a huge difference. This is home now. It's a great environment; you can really see horses flourish here.”
It hasn't just been Saratoga where Casse has been winning. Last weekend (Friday-Sunday), Casse entered 38 horses in 27 races at Saratoga, Woodbine, Monmouth and Gulfstream. The barn won 13 races, including the GII United Nations Stakes at Monmouth with 7-year-old gelding Get Smokin (Get Stormy) and the GIII Lake George Stakes at Saratoga with 3-year-old filly Pounce (Lookin At Lucky).
He'll enjoy the ride for as long as he can. But it's not as though this just happened. Casse has worked diligently to build his stable this year.
“I said in the spring that this is the strongest group we have ever had,” Casse said. “For sure, the pressure is off at this meet, but the pressure now will be to continue it and to do it next year. I know how to keep the ball rolling. We are going to need another young crop next year. If you don't continue to bring in new athletes, you will get run over.”
Been a Long Time Between Saratoga Trips for Trainer Cook
The last time trainer Jason Cook ran a horse at Saratoga was 1996. That, he is sure of.
The rest is a little hazy.
“I can see him,” he said when asked who the horse was. “He had a big blaze, a chestnut horse, four white stockings. I just can't remember his name.”
Three Technique in the John Nerud | Coglianese
The 51-year-old Cook was on the Saratoga backstretch Thursday morning, a day after making a 13-hour drive from his home in Louisville, Ky. He brought a buddy, Jason Webb, along for the ride. And, in the horse trailer hitched up to the truck was the second horse Cook is set to run in the Spa.
Three Technique (Mr Speaker), a 7-year-old horse, is entered to run in Friday's ninth race, a $120,000 allowance. A field of 12 is entered in the field, which has come up more than a little tough.
Also entered are Scotland (Good Magic), winner of last year's Curlin Stakes at the Spa, Zozos (Munnings), who has won seven of 14 career starts and was the third-place finisher in the Grade I Churchill Downs Stakes two races back; Castle Chaos (Palace Malice), who was fourth in the Metropolitan Handicap and General Jim (Into Mischief), winner of the 2023 GII Pat Day Mile Stakes.
Three Technique was once owned by Bill Parcells' August Dawn Farm and broke his maiden at Saratoga in his third start while being trained by Jeremiah Englehart.
Cook claimed Three Technique on Nov. 28, 2021 (“it was a 27-way shake. I won,” he said) and he has started 18 times for him. The last win for Three Technique came on July 1 of last year in the GII John A. Nerud Stakes at Belmont Park.
“He broke his maiden here impressively (by 5 1/2 lengths),” Cook said.
In his other four starts at Saratoga, he has just a second to show for it. Cook is here because he has had a tough time finding a race that fits him. When he saw this one, he loaded up the van and here he is.
“I know the history of Saratoga,” he said. “It would be pretty cool to win here.”
Cook said that Three Technique is a pleasure to train. After that, all bets are off.
“He is no fun to mess with, he doesn't like people,” Cook said, standing outside Three Technique's stall at the barn of Dale Romans. “See how happy he looks now? That's because he's alone. He's a good horse, though. Always shows some grit.”
Tapit Trice Makes Sure the Wait Was Worth It
Before last Saturday, the last time Tapit Trice (Tapit) was seen at the races was 330 days ago. Or 47 weeks or 11 months, whichever you prefer.
Tapit Trice wins Saturday's Monmouth Cup | Sarah Andrew
The now 4-year-old colt won the GIII Monmouth Cup Stakes at Monmouth Park on Haskell Day and he looked good doing it. The final margin of victory was 5 1/4 lengths. Welcome back, Tapit Trice.
“We were very pleased with it,'” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said of the effort outside his barn on the Oklahoma Training Track at Saratoga.
Before last Saturday, Tapit Trice's last start came in the GI Travers Stakes at Saratoga last August. He ran good there, too, finishing third behind Arcangelo (Arrogate) at odds of 12-1.
After that, it was by design that Tapit Trice disappeared. Pletcher said it was a planned break for Tapit Trice, who has raced seven times during his 3-year-old season.
The break went longer than anticipated as Tapit Trice had a minor foot issue that caused him to miss a pair of minor stakes races at Churchill Downs in the spring.
He came back with a vengeance at the Jersey Shore.
“After not running since the Travers and to come back at a mile and an eighth … we are just super happy with it,” Pletcher said.
Owned by Whisper Hill Farm LLC, and Gainesway Stable (Anthony Beck), it won't be such a long layoff this time. Pletcher said the next goal for Tapit Trice will be the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at the Spa Sept. 1.
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