Mark Casse

With the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, a bevy of graded stakes--marked by Saturday's GI Whitney S.--plus, the annual Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale which begins Monday, Upstate New York once again makes its case as the Thoroughbred fulcrum. To get the weekend started early, we have a pair of Friday graded turf stakes scheduled which will crown winners. First, the $400,000 GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational S. for 3-year-old fillies serves as the middle sparkler in NYRA's Fasig-Tipton Turf Tiara series. Since Aspen Grove (Ire) (Justify) has elected to take on the...

Bet down from a 12-1 morning line to be off at less than half that quote, Team Valor International and Gary Barber's Elysian Field (Hard Spun) stamped her authority on Sunday's Woodbine Oaks--despite some wayward ways in the final eighth of a mile--to give trainer Mark Casse a fourth victory in the first leg of the Canadian Filly Triple Crown and first since Barber's Lexie Lou (Sligo Bay {Ire}) scored in 2014. In partnership with Michael Langlois, Barber also won Sunday's Plate Trial S. with Paramount Prince (Society's Chairman). With...

It was no surprise to see trainer Chad Brown standing in the winner's circle after saddling four out of the five runners in Saturday's GI Diana S., including the race's defending winner and imposing 1-4 favorite 'TDN Rising Star' In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). It was the longest-priced runner of the Brown-trained quartet and Juddmonte homebred Whitebeam (GB) (Caravaggio), however, who gave Brown his eighth win in the Diana with an upset nose victory at nearly 8-1 over the aforementioned chalk in Saturday's feature at the Spa. "It's a very...

How's your Saratoga opening weekend stakes knowledge? You probably already knew that the Sanford S. is the only race that the legendary Man o' War ever lost. Or that over a five-year span in the '60s, the great Kelso amassed a staggering record of 63-39-12-2. You also knew that the late '80s warrior Quick Call, who lived to the ripe old age of 35, was denied a third consecutive GII Forego H. by a nose to Lay Down. And if you are pretty sharp, then you have it down pat...

Trainer Todd Pletcher has confirmed Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's MGISW Forte (Violence) for the GII Jim Dandy S. July 29 at Saratoga Race Course. The 3-year-old colt will use the race as a prep for the GI Travers S. Aug. 26, which the Hall of Famer won with Flower Alley [2005] and Stay Thirsty [2011]. "It was a tough call," said Pletcher. "We just felt like shipping up here, getting him used to the track, two Travers winners we previously had have done that." Pletcher added that Forte...

Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief--Wonder Gal, Tiz Wonderful), the 2022 champion 2-year-old filly, has been retired after finishing eighth in the July 1 GIII Selene S. at Woodbine, reports Jon Green, the general manager of the owner, D.J. Stables. She will be sold this fall at the Fasig-Tipton November sale. After clinching an Eclipse Award with her win in the 2022 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Wonder Wheel struggled this year, going 0-for-4. In the Selene, she was beaten 21 3/4 lengths. "Wonder Wheel has been battling a couple of minor...

Ellis Park will host its first Grade I race in its 100-year history Saturday, but there are plenty of other graded stakes scheduled before the Fourth of July at Belmont Park, Delaware Park, Woodbine Racetrack and Gulfstream Park. Here's a rundown of what's on tap. Showdown in Belmont's Dwyer One of two graded stakes on Saturday in Elmont is the GIII Dwyer S. Going a mile, the race pits Fort Bragg (Tapit), who was forced to scratch from the GI Woody Stephens S. by trainer Bob Baffert when the 3-year-old...

Typically, the names Sangster, Manton, Tattersalls, and British-bred runner at Windsor don't scream `American connections,' but in the case of Inquisitively (GB) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}), peel back the onion a bit and you'll find more than a few stars and stripes among the connections. Inquisitively, a barely-beaten second at Windsor in his May 29 debut, is entered in Wednesday's Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot, and will carry his owners' hopes as well as a bit of history on his back. Inquisitively sold for 40,000gns euros at the 2022 Tattersalls October...

5th-Churchill Downs, $118,875, Msw, 5-28, 3yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 1:17.49, ft, 2 1/4 lengths. MO TOWN MAYHEM (f, 3, Uncle Mo--Town Tour, by Speightstown), fifth in her debut going a mile over the Gulfstream turf Apr. 1, was let go at 14-1 while trying a dirt sprint this time. Well back in the early going, she was still well out of it through a half in :45.69, swung out seven wide turning for home, and despite seeming like she might have too much to do late, she closed to the...

As has been said many times about the Thoroughbred industry: it is a business with highs and lows; more lows than highs; the highs are very high and the lows are very low. It was an emotional weekend of racing for me. The highs have been the results of two races. The lows, the thoughts of those not here to celebrate with me. First, Dazzling Blue ran her record to three-for-three Friday with a, well, dazzling performance at Churchill Downs. Then, Sunday, Weehawken broke her maiden by three lengths at...

Webslinger (Constitution), who broke his maiden in some style in the $510,000 Nownownow S. in his owners' backyard at Monmouth Park last September, sat a three-wide trip, but--crucially--with cover, and outfinished the rail-rallying Far Bridge (English Channel) to provide owner D J Stable with a memorable 2,500th victory in Saturday's GII American Turf S. at Churchill Downs. Mo Stash (Mo Town), wire-to-wire winner of the GIII Transylvania S. last time and two lengths ahead of the third-placed Webslinger, won the break and cut out the running beneath Luis Saez over...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Godolphin homebred Wet Paint (Blame), an impressive come-from-behind winner in three straight while sweeping the Oaklawn Park series for 3-year-old fillies headed by the GIII Fantasy S. Apr. 1, was tabbed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite for Friday's GI Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. Conditioned by two-time Kentucky Oaks-winning trainer Brad Cox, Wet Paint was assigned post seven in the full field of 14. Flavien Prat will ride. Cox will also saddle impressive Bourbonette Oaks heroine and 4-1 second-choice Botanical (Medaglia d'Oro) (post six), who tries dirt...