Mark Casse

The announcement last week that GI Kentucky Derby and GI Breeders' Cup winner and likely Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief) had been retired was disappointing, but very much expected. It would have been nice to see him run another year, but it was never going to happen. From the business side of the sport, there was no other call, not when you have a son of super sire Into Mischief who will stand for $75,000 and likely go to 200-plus mares. Unless there is a seismic shift in...

Multiple Grade I-winning turf mare Got Stormy (Get Stormy--Super Phoebe, by Malabar Gold) started the 'Night of the Stars' fireworks Sunday at Fasig-Tipton November when hammering for $2.75 million to Spendthrift Farm as hip 168, consigned by Bluewater Sales. A winner over boys off seven days' rest in the GI Fourstardave H. last summer, the chestnut added a victory in the GI Matriarch S. and runner-up finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile. She scored in the GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint S. and GIII Franklin County S. this season...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency BROWN & KLARAVICH UNVEIL LATEST EUROPEAN IMPORT 5th-BEL, $80K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6fT, 2:49p.m. Klaravich Stables' 400,000gns TATOCT purchase MILESTONE PAYMENT (IRE) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) makes her career bow in New York for trainer Chad Brown Saturday. Out of SW & MGSP Boastful (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}), the gray is a half-sister to stakes winner Stage Play (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}). Their dam is a half to Irish Highweight Lesson in Humility (Ire) (Mujadil), who is the dam of GSW & GISP Tiger Moth (Ire)...

Helium backed up a sharp and fast track-and-trip debut score Sept. 27 to dominate Sunday's Display S. at Woodbine and become the first black-type winner for his freshman sire (by Distorted Humor). Off as the narrow 7-5 favorite over fellow impressive debut winner Maclean's Posse, the bay broke well and took up a stalking spot off the inside as his chief market rival took heat from two foes through splits of :23.65 and :46.40. Helium advanced ominously while out wide heading for home, and found another gear when called upon...

'TDN Rising Star' Souper Sensational (Curlin) made it two wins from as many trips to the races with a highly impressive victory in Saturday's Glorious Song S. at Woodbine. Favored at 3-5 to add to a facile 2 1/4-length debut success in a salty local maiden Sept. 26, the $725,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate was outfooted early, but mustered speed up the inside to lead prior to the entrance to the turn. Skipping along nicely into the final two furlongs despite some pressure to her outside, Souper Sensational pinched a winning...

Making just her second lifetime appearance in a true one-turn race and trying a distance as short as 5 1/2 furlongs for the first time in career start number 25, the classy Got Stormy (Get Stormy) needed every inch of the Keeneland stretch, but was shoved across the line by Tyler Gaffalione to win Friday's GIII Buffalo Trace Franklin County S. Got Stormy broke outward at the start, bothering Chalon (Dialed In) to her outside, and settled near the back of the field through the opening exchanges. Not rushed into...

8th-Woodbine, C$83,390, Msw, 10-8, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f (AWT), 1:03.38, ft, 5 1/2 lengths. CALIFORNIA LILY (f, 2, California Chrome--Wildcat Lily {GSW & MGISP, $477,165}, by D'wildcat) was favored at first asking by just less than $2,000 and became the sixth winner for her freshman sire (by Lucky Pulpit) with an impressive debut success in Thursday's finale from Woodbine. Quickly into stride beneath Rafael Hernandez, the blaze-faced chestnut set the pace with a bit of pressure to her outside for the opening couple of furlongs. But she pinched a break...

Gary Barber's Got Stormy (Get Stormy) cuts even farther back to the shortest distance of her career in Friday's GIII Buffalo Trace Franklin County S. over 5 1/2 turfy furlongs at Keeneland. Twice a Grade I winner going a mile last term and second behind fellow female and last Saturday's GI First Lady S. heroine Uni (GB) (More Than Ready) in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile, the Mark Casse pupil failed to find her best form through the first half of 2020. She was fourth at 1-5 in the GIII...

Sent off the 1.35-1 favorite in what appeared to be an above-average Woodbine maiden Saturday afternoon, Live Oak Plantation's Souper Sensational (Curlin) lived up to her name at first asking, pulling confidently clear to graduate by a bit more than two lengths in a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy performance. Beaten for speed, the $725,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad sat the box seat from third, but traveled nicely on the bridle, with her chief market rival-'Rising Star' Shirl's Speight's full-sister Speightstown Shirl (Speightstown)--lapped to her outside. The Fipke homebred got first run on...

Gretzky the Great (Nyquist), who became freshman sire Nyquist (Uncle Mo)'s first stakes winner in August, became his second Grade I winner less than a month later with a victory in Sunday's GI Summer S. at Woodbine. The score in the "Win and You're In" event punched Gretzky the Great's ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and gave Japanese-born jockey Kazushi Kimura his first career Grade I triumph. Unveiled going five furlongs on the local turf July 12, the Ontario-bred was runner-up to re-opposing rival Ready to Repeat...

Gretzky the Great (Nyquist) will be favored to become his freshman sire's second top-level scorer Sunday in Woodbine's GI Summer S., which grants the winner a spot in the gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Second behind subsequent Victoria S. winner Ready to Repeat (More Than Ready) in his grass debut here July 12, he graduated at second asking in an off-the-turf sprint here Aug. 2. The Mark Casse pupil captured the Soaring Free S. going 6 1/2 panels on the local lawn next out Aug. 23, giving...

Mark Casse has a strong chance to take home his third GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile with a trio of contenders set to line up for Saturday's "Win and You're In" event for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile. Gary Barber's War of Will (War Front) tries to secure a Grade I double here off a win in Keeneland's GI Maker's Mile July 10. Winner of the GIII LeComte S., GII Risen Star S. and GI Preakness S. last season, the bay capped his sophomore term with a ninth in the GI...