By Tim Wilkin
SARATOGA SPRINGS – The milestone victory came about 530 miles away from Saratoga Race Course, but that wasn't going to stop Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse from celebrating.
Casse, 64, won his 4,000th career race when It's Witchcraft (Tapit) won the 11th race at Colonial Downs by a nose in a four-horse photo finish.
Casse watched the race and cheered with his wife, Tina, on a television in the clubhouse at Saratoga.
He then scrambled to watch the Saratoga sixth race where he saddled 2-year-old filly Charlottesuniverse (Into Mischief), but she could only manage a fourth place finish.
Still, it was a mini-celebration for Casse in the Saratoga winner's circle, who was presented with a 4,000-career win sign by the New York Racing Association.
“That is my life,” Casse, 64, said through an ear-to-ear smile. “We thought we had [Colonial race] won, then you have to get one place to another.”
He became the 14th trainer to get to 4,000 wins.
It has been quite the journey for Casse, who got his training license in Massachusetts when he was just 17 and he worked with his late father, Norman. In 1979, at the age of 18, he won his first race, at Keeneland and he was off and running.
He has started 24,412 horses during his career.
“I have a bunch of wonderful people and owners,” Casse, originally from Indiana, said of his horse racing circle. “I never work, I get to play every day. I am a very fortunate person. And, boy, 4,000! You know what that means? There were a lot of losers!”
Mark Casse celebrates at the Spa | Sarah Andrew
His son, Norman, was a longtime assistant to his dad is now making his own name as a trainer.
Casse would not say it would have been sweeter if the breakthrough win had come at Saratoga.
He was more excited to say that the victory by It's Witchcraft was the 2,600th career win for long-time Casse client D J Stable.
“They have been big supporters or ours,” Casse said. “Everybody wanted to be [part of] 4,000. [Jockey] Jose [Ortiz, who rode Charlottesuniverse] said a bad word. He said he wanted to be my 4,000th. For all the people that have given me their support and cheered for me, I appreciate it.”
Casse was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2020. Four years earlier, he was enshrined in the Canada's Racing Hall of Fame. He has been honored with the Sovereign Award, given to the outstanding Canadian trainer, 16 times.
He has won two Triple Crown races, both in 2019, He won the GI Preakness Stakes with War Of Will (War Front) and the GI Belmont Stakes with Sir Winston (Awesome Again). He has also won six Breeders' Cup races during his career.
“When I am dead and gone, I want to be known as a good horse trainer, but a great person,” Casse said. “That is what I work on every day.”
Now that 4,000 is out of the way, Casse was asked if it was time to start working on 5,000.
“I told my wife I would retire at 5,000,” he said. “She didn't believe me, so let's go for 6,000.”
It's worth noting, Casse won the finale at the Spa on Thursday when Film Academy (Oscar Performance) broke his maiden. The road to 5,000 has already begun.
11th-Colonial Downs, $73,200, Alw, 7-17, (NW2L), 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:37.48, fm, nose.
IT'S WITCHCRAFT (f, 3, Tapit–Lady's Island {MGSW, $665,575}, by Greatness) became Mark Casse's 4,000th career winner Thursday in dramatic fashion at Colonial Downs. This seven-figure daughter of Tapit, who earned a black-type placing as a juvenile in the Our Dear Peggy Stakes at Gulfstream over he same distance, was coming off back to back stakes runs and was last fourth going 1/16th longer in the Martha Washington at Gulfstream June 7. Cutting back to the mile Thursday and racing without blinkers, It's Witchcraft split the field around the clubhouse turn before making headway towards the front to challenge for the lead past the half-mile pole in :49.90. Caught between runners in a thrilling stretch duel, It's Witchcraft just prevailed by the narrowest of margins over Ambaya (Ghostzapper) to give Casse the win. The first foal out of MGSW Lady's Island who herself RNA'd at KEENOV in 2023 for $575,000, It's Witchcraft has three full-brothers all still to race behind her. Lady's Island went back to Tapit for another full-sibling in 2026. Sales History: $1,100,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SP, 9-2-2-1, $124,833. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-D. J. Stable LLC; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds LTD. (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. @SGrimmTDN
Trainer @markecasse gets his 4,000th career win! 🤩🎉
It's Witchcraft gets the headbob in R11 at @colonialdowns! @jockeygallardo was aboard.
🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/OgauB1l3Sq
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) July 17, 2025
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