Mark Casse

That Mark Casse won a pair of 2-year-old maiden races Sunday at Woodbine should not have come as a surprise. The trainer hasn't just been hot when it comes to his juvenile runners, he's been perfect. Casse has sent out eight 2-year-olds so far this year and all eight have won. Six were first-time starters and two others won in their second career starts. He leads all trainers in the category of 2-year-old winners on the year. Steve Asmussen is next with six. How has Casse done it? "For one...

5th-Woodbine, C$104,200, Msw, 6-12, 2yo, 5f (AWT), :57.57, ft, 6 1/4 lengths. BATTLE STRIKE (c, 2, Connect--Hold the Sugar, by Forest Wildcat), dispatched at 4-5 favoritism for his career debut, showed good speed from the gate to take the lead from mid-pack inside of Kaukokaipuu (Mr Speaker) through an opening quarter in :45.73. A length clear into the far turn racing just off the rail, it became a one-horse race down the stretch as Battle Strike powered home unchallenged to win impressively by 6 1/4 lengths as Kaukokaipuu held off...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency JUDDMONTE BLUEBLOOD HOPES SECOND TIME'S A CHARM 1st-BEL, $90K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1m, 12:50 p.m. Blueblooded Juddmonte homebred ARTORIUS (Arrogate) ran a huge race on debut at Keeneland Apr. 16, producing an eye-catching rally from well back to be second behind a 'TDN Rising Star' performance from Under Oath (Speightstown). The son of MGISW Paulassilverlining (Ghostzapper), who was recently profiled in Steve Sherack's "Second Chances" column, gets that second chance Friday in the Belmont opener. He faces a pair of well-related colts also making their second...

Golden Glider (Ghostzapper), most recently second in the GIII Peter Pan S., tuned up for Saturday's GI Belmont S. with a four-furlong work in :49.90 (33/84) at Belmont Park Sunday. NYRA clockers caught the colt, with exercise rider Kylie Wellington up, through a quarter-mile in :26.20 and a gallop-out in 1:02.80. "I thought he worked really well. He settled early, which is what you want out of a Belmont horse, and flew home," trainer Mark Casse said. Casse won the 2019 Belmont with Sir Winston (Awesome Again), who also finished...

4th-Churchill Downs, $105,843, Msw, 6-3, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:04.73, ft, 2 1/4 lengths. WONDER WHEEL (f, 2, Into Mischief--Wonder Gal {MSW & MGISP, $904,800}, by Tiz Wonderful) was sent off the narrow 2-1 second choice in this unveiling but put in a gutsy, professional performance to graduate. Not the fastest off the break, Wonder Wheel tracked from fifth and quickly made up ground coming through the turn, her march carrying her four wide into the stretch. Second at the head of the lane, the $275,000 KEESEP grad confronted a...

2nd-Woodbine, C$107,630, Msw, 5-21, 2yo, 4 1/2f (AWT), :51.58, ft, 5 1/2 lengths. STAYHONOR GOODSIDE (c, 2, Honor Code--Nicki Knew {SW, $386,114}, by Tethra) was favored at 6-5 in this debut and made it look like a gift with a dominant debut score at Woodbine Saturday. Away alertly, the $85,000 KEESEP buy contested the early pace and slammed the door on his rivals in the lane to win for fun by 5 1/2 lengths over Captive Silence (Silent Name {Jpn}). The winner is a half to Imperial Dream (Stormy Atlantic),...

After the connections of GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) opted to skip the GI Preakness S. and instead prepare for the GI Belmont S., the structure of the Triple Crown races has been a subject of debate leading up to the second leg of the historic series. Should the timing between the races be adjusted? We asked a few veteran trainers here.     Mark Casse: I think it has to stay the same. I think it's nonsense to talk any different. This is history, this is...

2nd-Woodbine, C$92,730, Msw, 5-14, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f (AWT), :52.41, ft, 4 3/4 lengths. ADORA (f, 2, Into Mischief--Southern Ring {MGSW-Can, SP-USA, $343,998}, by Speightstown) was heavily favored in this debut and ran to the money with a decisive graduation. Dueling on the front end early, the $450,000 FTSAUG buy sauntered clear with ease in the lane to win by 4 3/4 lengths in :52.41. Delilah's Revenge (Good Magic) closed greenly late to get the better of a photo for second at 44-1 for her freshman sire (by Curlin). The...

Beautiful Empire (Classic Empire)'s furious kick carried the day for conditioner Mark Casse, rallying from last to lead home a 1-2-3 finish for the Mark Casse barn in a brisk rendition of the Star Shoot S. at Woodbine. The filly was far back in her first two starts over conventional dirt at Churchill Downs before breaking her maiden Dec. 10 over the synthetic at Turfway Park to conclude her juvenile season. The chestnut began her year with a close runner-up effort Jan. 8 at the venue on first-time Lasix and...

Canada's 2020 Horse of the Year Mighty Heart (Dramedy) took home the same honors for the 2021 season at the 47th Annual Sovereign Awards, hosted by The Jockey Club of Canada Thursday at the Universal Eventspace just outside of Toronto. A homebred for Larry Cordes, Mighty Heart won the GII Autumn S. and GIII Dominion Day S. in Canada, as well as the Blame S. at Churchill Downs. The popular one-eyed 4-year-old had won the same award last year on the strength of his victories in the Queen's Plate and...

Officially kicking off its fourth season, the Empire Racing Club (ERC) will offer a reduced membership price of $400 through the official re-launch date of May 1. Membership dues for both new and returning members will be $475 beginning May 2, 2022. Membership is open to both licensed and unlicensed enthusiasts looking to enjoy the social and educational benefits of the Club. The ERC will once again be managed by famed race-caller Tom Durkin. Training the current roster of runners for the 2022 season are Hall of Famer Mark Casse;...

A small, but competitive field of six sophomore colts are set to line up Friday in Keeneland's GIII Transylvania S. Two-time Transylvania winner Chad Brown saddles a third of the field in Verbal (Flintshire {GB}) and Napoleonic War (War Front). Rallying to a decisive score in his Belmont unveiling Oct. 10, Juddmonte homebred Verbal closed strongly to take Del Mar's GIII Cecil B. Demille S. at Del Mar next out Nov. 28. He is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in this sophomore bow. His stablemate Napoleonic War is the longest shot...