Mark Casse

The National Museum of Racing will induct the 2022 Hall of Fame class Friday, Aug. 5 at Fasig-Tipton. The event is slated to begin at 10:30 a.m. Tom Durkin will serve as the master of ceremonies. The event is open to the public and free to attend. The ceremony will also be broadcast live on the Museum website at racingmuseum.org. A stellar class of inductees comprises the 2022 ceremony, namely four-time Eclipse Award winner Beholder (Henny Hughes); Hillsdale (Take Away), who is also the first Indiana-bred in the Hall of...

A lack of competitors doesn't always translate to a lack of competition and the GII Shuvee S. at Saratoga is a case in point, with an abbreviated field of four featuring a pair of titans. Fellow Curlin daughters Clairiere and Malathaat will bring their rivalry to round six in the 1 1/8-mile contest at the Spa; the latter coming out on the better end on four prior occasions. Malathaat will be breaking from the gate sporting blinkers for the first time in her career, likely intended to combat her tendency...

10th-WO, $123.2K, Msw, 3yo/up, 7fT, 5:51 p.m. Gary Barber's $550K KEENOV buy MEDAGLIA MO (Medaglia d'Oro) makes her career bow in this spot for trainer Mark Casse. Her dam, GSW & GISP Mokat (Uncle Mo), was purchased by Springhouse Farm for $800,000 at KEENOV with this filly in utero. Mokat is a half to GSW Frolic's Dream (Smoke Glacken). Chiefswood Stables homebred Indy Champagne (Curlin) also debuts in this event. The bay is a half to graded winners Yorkton (Speightstown) and Weyburn (Pioneerof the Nile). TJCIS PPs

Wonder Wheel broke better and showed more speed than she did on debut to set strong splits and draw off impressively in Monday's Debutante S. at Churchill Downs. Having taken her local unveiling by 2 1/4 lengths from off the pace June 3, the $275,000 KEESEP acquisition emerged from between horses here to dole out an opening quarter of :21.52. Already well clear and threatening to run away from them after the half in :45.05, Wonder Wheel did just that as she cruised away to a facile  score. Sabra Tuff)...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 4th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 2:13 p.m. Heider Family Stables' STUNNINGLY (Gun Runner) makes her first trip to the post Monday for trainer Steve Asmussen. Out of stakes winner Happy Mesa (Sky Mesa), the chestnut filly was a $675,000 Keeneland September acquisition. Trainer Mark Casse sends outs firster Forever Dixie (Quality Road). The John Oxley homebred is a daughter of graded winner Dixie Strike (Dixie Union). Ken McPeek saddles the debuting Aunt Mischief (Into Mischief), a daughter of Grade I placed Motown Lady (Uncle...

That Mark Casse won a pair of 2-year-old maiden races Sunday at Woodbine should not have come as a surprise. The trainer hasn't just been hot when it comes to his juvenile runners, he's been perfect. Casse has sent out eight 2-year-olds so far this year and all eight have won. Six were first-time starters and two others won in their second career starts. He leads all trainers in the category of 2-year-old winners on the year. Steve Asmussen is next with six. How has Casse done it? "For one...

5th-Woodbine, C$104,200, Msw, 6-12, 2yo, 5f (AWT), :57.57, ft, 6 1/4 lengths. BATTLE STRIKE (c, 2, Connect--Hold the Sugar, by Forest Wildcat), dispatched at 4-5 favoritism for his career debut, showed good speed from the gate to take the lead from mid-pack inside of Kaukokaipuu (Mr Speaker) through an opening quarter in :45.73. A length clear into the far turn racing just off the rail, it became a one-horse race down the stretch as Battle Strike powered home unchallenged to win impressively by 6 1/4 lengths as Kaukokaipuu held off...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency JUDDMONTE BLUEBLOOD HOPES SECOND TIME'S A CHARM 1st-BEL, $90K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1m, 12:50 p.m. Blueblooded Juddmonte homebred ARTORIUS (Arrogate) ran a huge race on debut at Keeneland Apr. 16, producing an eye-catching rally from well back to be second behind a 'TDN Rising Star' performance from Under Oath (Speightstown). The son of MGISW Paulassilverlining (Ghostzapper), who was recently profiled in Steve Sherack's "Second Chances" column, gets that second chance Friday in the Belmont opener. He faces a pair of well-related colts also making their second...

Golden Glider (Ghostzapper), most recently second in the GIII Peter Pan S., tuned up for Saturday's GI Belmont S. with a four-furlong work in :49.90 (33/84) at Belmont Park Sunday. NYRA clockers caught the colt, with exercise rider Kylie Wellington up, through a quarter-mile in :26.20 and a gallop-out in 1:02.80. "I thought he worked really well. He settled early, which is what you want out of a Belmont horse, and flew home," trainer Mark Casse said. Casse won the 2019 Belmont with Sir Winston (Awesome Again), who also finished...

4th-Churchill Downs, $105,843, Msw, 6-3, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:04.73, ft, 2 1/4 lengths. WONDER WHEEL (f, 2, Into Mischief--Wonder Gal {MSW & MGISP, $904,800}, by Tiz Wonderful) was sent off the narrow 2-1 second choice in this unveiling but put in a gutsy, professional performance to graduate. Not the fastest off the break, Wonder Wheel tracked from fifth and quickly made up ground coming through the turn, her march carrying her four wide into the stretch. Second at the head of the lane, the $275,000 KEESEP grad confronted a...

2nd-Woodbine, C$107,630, Msw, 5-21, 2yo, 4 1/2f (AWT), :51.58, ft, 5 1/2 lengths. STAYHONOR GOODSIDE (c, 2, Honor Code--Nicki Knew {SW, $386,114}, by Tethra) was favored at 6-5 in this debut and made it look like a gift with a dominant debut score at Woodbine Saturday. Away alertly, the $85,000 KEESEP buy contested the early pace and slammed the door on his rivals in the lane to win for fun by 5 1/2 lengths over Captive Silence (Silent Name {Jpn}). The winner is a half to Imperial Dream (Stormy Atlantic),...

After the connections of GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) opted to skip the GI Preakness S. and instead prepare for the GI Belmont S., the structure of the Triple Crown races has been a subject of debate leading up to the second leg of the historic series. Should the timing between the races be adjusted? We asked a few veteran trainers here.     Mark Casse: I think it has to stay the same. I think it's nonsense to talk any different. This is history, this is...