Mark Casse

LEXINGTON, KY - The Fasig-Tipton October Yearlings Sale, which produced record-setting renewals in 2021 and 2022, opened Monday with solid, if less spectacular figures, than a year ago. A total of 257 yearlings grossed $11,224,800 Monday. The session average of $43,676 was down 10.5% from last year's opening day and the median of $20,000 was down 25.9%. "It was a solid opening session," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. "I think the results were basically in line with expectations and what we are seeing throughout the marketplace in 2023. There...

After a claim of foul by Twin City (Klimt) which took place at the first turn against Solo Album (Curlin), Touch'n Ride (g, 3, Candy Ride {Arg}--Niigon's Touch, by Niigon) was promoted to the winner's circle in Saturday's Ontario Derby. The bay gelding won over the Tapeta in Toronto by 5 1/4 lengths at second asking July 30 before running a well-beaten fifth in the King's Plate Aug. 20. Winning the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown Oct. 1 in the Breeders' Stakes by a nose over SW Elysian...

The Fasig-Tipton October Digital Sale closed Tuesday afternoon with 100 horses sold for $1,820,000. Offerings included breeding stock, horses of racing age, yearlings, and a stallion. Racing prospect Witwatersrand (Hip 8) topped the sale when sold for $230,000 to Deputy from the consignment of Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for DJ Stable Graduate. A 2-year-old daughter of Connect, Witwatersrand broke her maiden on debut at Woodbine on Sept. 1 for owners DJ Stable and Quintessential Racing Florida and trainer Mark Casse. The chestnut filly was offered and sold from her...

Longshot Can Group rallied from last to first at 27-1 in Sunday's GII Castle & Key Bourbon S. at Keeneland to narrowly stamp his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Last-out Sapling S. scorer Noted came out on the wrong end of a tight photo, while Pepsi Juvenile Sprint S. winner Vote No rounded out the lucrative trifecta. Sandwiched at the start and back to last as the full field scrambled for position into the first bend, Can Group was still patiently handled by Francisco Arrieta as they...

The trip might have been unusual, but rider Javier Castellano knew what he had under him as Fev Rover (Ire) (m, 5, Gutaifan {Ire}--Laurelita {Ire}, by High Chaparral {Ire}) captured Sunday's GI E.P. Taylor S. at Woodbine. The bay showed the way early from the rail, but was quickly under pressure as 50-1 Rocky Sky (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) dogged her from the outside through fractions of :25.66 and :50.29. The rest of the field was strung out and just after the half-mile mark, Fev Rover yielded to let...

When Lois Green was a young girl, her family would take her once a year to Coney Island, where she thought the most exhilarating ride was the Wonder Wheel. So when the family bought a yearling by Into Mischief out of the multiple stakes winner and multiple Grade I stakes-placed Wonder Gal at auction, the name was a natural for the DJ Stable matriarch. Wonder Wheel would go on to become Into Mischief's first juvenile champion, winning two Grade Is including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, and four of five...

Lightly raced but full of heart, Touch'n Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) would not let the filly go in the final yards and bravely got by Elysian Fields (Hard Spun) to prevail by the slimmest of margins, determined by a photo. Last seen finishing fifth in the Kings Plate S. won by familiar face Paramount Prince (Society's Chairman)--where the runner-up here again played bridesmaid--and gone since then, Touch'n Ride was content to track from fifth in a packed field of 14 as the speed went on its way. Cruising along in...

Edited Press Release Jockey Gary Boulanger, whose numerous career highlights include a Queen's Plate victory, has decided to call it a career. "It's the right time," Boulanger, 55, told Woodbine Communications. "I don't feel I have anything left to prove. I am so grateful to all the trainers, owners and my fellow riders for their support. Just like anyone who rides horses, there are many ups and downs, but you always find a way to persevere." A 2020 Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee, the native of Alberta enjoyed...

Woodbine Racetrack isn't done with the graded entertainment as the GIII Seaway S. for 3-year-old fillies and mares going seven furlongs takes to the Tapeta on Sunday. Drawn to the outside is the last out winner of the GIII Trillium S. July 23 in Toronto, Il Malocchio (Souper Speedy). Cutting back, the Martin Drexler trainee is the morning-line favorite at 5-2. The 5-year-old will face eight others, including Catherine Day-Phillips trainee Millie Girl (Hard Spun), who finished third in the June 3 GII Royal North S. and in the same...

Racing roads converge this Saturday. With a little over a month left before horses and their connections officially point to Santa Anita, the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series returns to Woodbine Racetrack. Featured are three 'Win and You're In' chances, including the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile. Meanwhile, at Churchill Downs, the prep seasons officially open for 2-year-old colts and fillies, who are seeking to bank points for next May's 150th editions of the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks. There is much to get to with Belmont at the Big...

On paper, it looks like 8-5 morning line favorite Paramount Prince (Society's Chairman) is the horse to beat in Tuesday's $400,000 Prince of Wales S. at Fort Erie, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. He's perfect around two turns and is coming off a front-running victory in the first leg of the series, the King's Plate. And once again, there doesn't appear to be another horse in the field who can keep this front-runner honest early. But this race always comes with a handicapping conundrum. How do you...

When they throw $1.7 million at a race that entitles the winner to a guaranteed, fees-paid berth in the field for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, sometimes you cast all logic aside and roll the dice against all odds. As the saying goes, 'you miss 100% of the shots you don't take,' and it was with that mindset that Get Smokin (Get Stormy)--a Grade II and Grade III winner, but unproven over the 12-furlong trip of the GII FanDuel Kentucky Cup Turf--was even entered in the first place. But given...