2019 Preakness: War of Will Wins in Dramatic Rebound From Kentucky Derby Loss

By Joe Drape The deep breaths came fast and furious in the opening moments of the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes, and for good reason: John Velazquez, a Hall of Fame jockey, was airborne one moment and in the dirt the next after his colt, Bodexpress, broke out of the starting gate like a rodeo horse rather than a thoroughbred. This old, tradition-steeped American sport could not withstand another catastrophe or controversy. Dead horses, too many of them, have drawn a bull’s-eye around its existence. A multimillion-dollar disqualification in...

Mark Casse: From Canada To The Kentucky Derby Training War Of Will

By: Ben Baugh It seems as if Mark Casse has always been around horses. His prescience has been nothing short of phenomenal, having the vision and being able to realize his dream. The Hall of Fame conditioner moved to Ocala, Florida when he was five years old, having lived on a farm with his father, Norman Casse, who was a horseman. He still considers the city in Marion County home and his favorite place to be. A Sense of Self The eventual 10-time Sovereign Award-winning trainer was a natural fit for...

‘All Systems Are Go’ For Derby Contender War Of Will After ‘Exceptionally Good’ Breeze

by Paulick Report Gary Barber's War of Will breezed 5 furlongs in 1:00.20 over a sealed muddy surface at Keeneland Friday when the track opened at 5:30 a.m. In company with maiden winner Battle of Memphis, War of Will clocked splits of :24.40 and :48.60 and galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:13.60. “He trained beautifully all week, and he definitely has progressed from his last breeze,” David Carroll, assistant to trainer Mark Casse, said. “All indications were that he would go exceptionally good today, and we saw that. We couldn't be any happier....

Wonder Gadot Named Canada’s Horse of the Year

By: Bloodhorse Gary Barber's Wonder Gadot took home Canadian Horse of the Year honors and the award for champion 3-year-old filly April 18 when The Jockey Club of Canada hosted its 44th annual Sovereign Awards ceremony at Vaughan's Chateau Le Jardin. Bred in Ontario by Anderson Farms out of the Vindication mare Loving Vindication, the daughter of Medaglia d'Oro  won the first two jewels in the Canadian Triple Crown in 2018. She took the Queen's Plate Stakes at Woodbine, becoming just the ninth filly to win that race since its first running at Woodbine in 1956, then...

Patience, Passion Led Trainer Mark Casse to Stardom

BY J. Keeler Johnson There she was — in the lead, vying for victory in the final furlong of the historic Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in England. When Tepin gallantly crossed the finish line in front, the mare had made history as the first American-trained racehorse to win Royal Ascot’s signature meet-opening race. Sharing the glory was the trainer who made it all possible, the trainer who never made a wrong move in managing a versatile but slow-maturing racehorse until she was ready to make history on...

Kentucky Derby 2019 Daily: Casse’s cast of contenders grows

By Jonathan Lintner Before trainer Mark Casse saddled War of Will last Saturday for the most impressive 2019 Kentucky Derby prep win of the new year, he’d already set himself up for a big week on the trail. Three days later, a new acquisition for trainer Gary Barber, the stakes winner Our Braintrust, posted his first work at the Casse Training Center in Florida, breezing a half mile in 49 seconds. "I really like him,” Casse recently told the NYRA Press Office. “I’ve trained a few Freuds, and some of...

Casse wins eighth Glorious Song Stakes with Souper Charlotte

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse continued his dominance in the Glorious Song Stakes, after Souper Charlotte took Sunday’s $100,000 feature at Woodbine Racetrack. There’s something about the Glorious Song that brings out the best in one of racing’s most accomplished conditioners. After today’s triumph, Casse has now won eight runnings overall, five of the past six and three straight editions, including in 2017 with Win the War. Today, it was Souper Charlotte’s turn to deliver the crown. Sent off as the 3-5 favorite in the field of five juvenile...

Shamrock Rose Goes Last to First in F/M Sprint

By Steve Sherack Shamrock Rose (First Dude), a late $130,000 Breeders’ Cup supplement by Conrad Farms, unleashed a powerful, last-to-first stretch rally to reel in Chalon (Dialed In) in dramatic fashion by a head in the Filly & Mare Sprint. The 25-1 chance trailed the field as comebacking ‘TDN Rising Star Selcourt (Tiz Wonderful) blazed the way through fractions of :21.89 and :44.99. Still with plenty left to do at the top of the stretch, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. and Shamrock Rose began to knife their way through traffic...

Neepawa gives Casse a Canadian Triple Crown sweep

By Alex Campbell ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mark Casse added another accomplishment to his Canadian racing résumé Saturday when Neepawa won the $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes, the third and final jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, over 1 1/2 miles on the Woodbine turf. Casse swept all three legs of the Canadian Triple Crown this year – winning the Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes with Wonder Gadot, and the Breeders’ Stakes with Neepawa. Neepawa earned his first stakes victory in the Breeders’ Stakes, taking the field gate to wire...

‘Obvious Choice’: Irad Ortiz To Be Named On Wonder Gadot In Travers

By: NYRA Press Office Trainer Mark Casse reported Monday morning that Saratoga Race Course's current meet leading rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. will have the mount aboard Gary Barber's Wonder Gadot, set to become the first filly since 1979 to contest the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers on Saturday. Ortiz was previously committed to ride Hofburg in the Mid-Summer Derby, but the Curlin winner was withdrawn from the race on Sunday after missing a scheduled breeze due to fever. “Irad is as good as they come,” said Casse. “He's having an...