Wonder Wheel Rolls to Victory in BC Juvenile Fillies

By Tim Wilkin  All summer long, at Saratoga Race Course, Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse talked about a young filly named Wonder Wheel whenever he could. If you listened to Casse's Wonder Wheel spiel long enough as summer slowly turned to fall, you would swear this 2-year-old baby was about to become the second coming of Ruffian. On a glorious Nov. 4 afternoon that felt more like the first Friday of July than the first one in November, Casse could breathe easy.  All the stumping he did for the daughter of Into Mischief...

Souper Hoity Toity Wins Stake at Woodbine

Souper Hoity Toity Takes the Ontario Damsel Stakes Souper Hoity Toity, ridden by Patrick Husbands, took the $127,250 Ontario Damsel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, contested at 1 1/16 miles over Woodbine's Tapeta.    After lively opening splits of:23.86 and:47.93 set by Crystal Ship , Souper Hoity Toity, the 1-5 choice, assumed command just after the stretch call and won by a half-length in a time of 1:43.44. Love to Run was second and Crystal Ship finished third.  "I was getting the perfect trip," Husbands said. "I put her in the clear by the three-eighths...

Belmont Winner Sir Winston Retires

Mark Casse and Sir Winston Classic Sir Winston (Awesome Again–La Gran Bailadora, by Afleet Alex) has retired from racing and will stand stud next year at Pope McLean's Crestwood Farm. The Tracy Farmer homebred is out of the Grade-III winning and Grade-I placed mare La Gran Bailadora. “Sir Winston showed us incredible talent right from the start and we think his progeny will do the same,” said Farmer. “We will be supporting him both with mares in the breeding shed as well as in the sales ring down the road.” A stakes...

Mark Casse, Ron Moquett, Graham Motion Among Members Of HISA’s New Horsemen’s Advisory Group

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has announced the members of its Horsemen's Advisory Group, who were selected from among the more than 250 applications received from hands-on racing participants from across the country. Starting in November, the Advisory Group will convene on a monthly basis to provide feedback to the Authority's executive team and Standing Committees on the implementation and evolution of HISA's Racetrack Safety and Anti-Doping and Medication Control regulations. Following HISA's announcement of the Advisory Group's formation on August 29, HISA chose 19 members...

New Hall of Famer Mark Casse Joins Writers’ Room

Fresh off of a year-delayed induction into racing's Hall of Fame Friday, Mark Casse joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland Wednesday morning for an expansive discussion on his career and the sport at large. Calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Casse reflected on his family's growing legacy in the sport, remembered arguably his most famous pupil Tepin (Bernstein) and assessed where the industry stands on stamping out its drug problems. Asked about the emotion of his Hall of Fame speech, Casse said, “[Racing]...

Family Ties Run Deep In Racing For Hall Of Famer Casse

By: NYRA Press Office Friday will be a capstone day for Mark Casse and his family when the trainer is inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in a morning ceremony prior to the afternoon races across the street at Saratoga race course. His son Norman, who was his top assistant before going out on his own, and daughter-in-law and TVG analyst Gabby Gaudet could not be prouder. “It's very exciting. I know this has been one of Dad's biggest goals...

Easy Time to Complete Hall of Fame Day for Casse

By: Christine Oser Trainer Mark Casse has a full day planned surrounding the Hall of Fame Aug. 6 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. In the morning he will be at Fasig-Tipton for the induction ceremony as part of the 2020 class, and in the afternoon he will saddle Easy Time  in the $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T) across the street at Saratoga Race Course. "I can't think of anything better than to get inducted in the morning and win it in the afternoon," Casse said. Breeze Easy's Easy Time enters...

Barn Tour: Check out summer plans for 13 Mark Casse horses

By: Brad Stephens Mark Casse will be honored next month for accomplishments as a trainer when he is inducted into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame. He can add to those accomplishments a little farther down Union Avenue at Saratoga Race Course. Casse spoke to Horse Racing Nation last week about summer plans for his stable. Included in his runners’ targets are Grade 1 events during the Saratoga meet, which begins Thursday. The conditioner also has notable names racing or training north of the U.S.-Canada border at Woodbine, including 2019...

Mark Casse aims 2 hopefuls at Derby Winner’s Circle

By: John Lewis LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Trainer Mark Casse has saddled eight Kentucky Derby starters but has yet to hit the Winner’s Circle. He came close in 2017 with Classic Empire, which finished fourth. This year, Casse has a duo of Derby hopefuls: Tampa Bay Derby winner Helium (50-1) and Florida Derby runner-up Soup and Sandwich (30-1). “Many times, when I’ve done these interviews, I’ve said, 'He’s going to have the run the race of his life and have the perfect trip,'" Casse said Thursday after arriving at the...