Mark Casse

Bruce Lundsford's Art Collector (Bernardini), winner of the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. in his latest start, worked over a muddy Churchill Downs track Saturday morning. Trained by Tom Drury, the colt carved out fractions of :12.80 and :24.60 before galloping out five furlongs in 1:01.20 and six panels in 1:14.80. "It's so nice to have a horse who is versatile and can really run over any surface," said Drury. "He did everything very easily this morning and it was really just a perfect work. We are still taking things...

Claiborne Farm has purchased an interest in Classic winner War of Will (War Front--Visions of Clarity {Ire}, by Sadlers Wells), who will stand at the Paris, Kentucky farm upon the conclusion of his racing career. The winner of a trio of a trio of graded events at three, including the GI Preakness S., the Gary Barber-campaigned colt most recently scored in the GI Maker's Mark Mile over the Keeneland turf July 10. War of Will's 2021 stud fee will be announced following the Breeders' Cup. "War of Will has an...

Ten Broeck Farm's Owlette (Frac Daddy) looks to record her fourth stakes win in Saturday's GIII Selene S. at Woodbine. Conditioned by Wesley Ward, the Ontario-bred filly took last year's Shady Well S. and Victorian Queen S. and subsequently won the June 13 Star Shoot S. in her 2020 bow. Never worse than second in six career starts, including four wins over Woodbine's Tapeta, Owlette will be joined for the first time by Luis Contreras. Always armed and dangerous at Woodbine, Mark Casse saddles a pair of fillies for Gary...

Seven sophomore turf sprinters and one entered only in the event the race comes off the main track are set to contest Friday's GIII Quick Call S. at Saratoga, but it looks all over a two-horse test. Jack and Noah (Fr) (Bated Breath {GB}) is the even-money favorite on the morning line and with good reason. A €47,000 Arqana August yearling turned €160,000 Arqana May juvenile purchase by Justin Casse, the gray colt won the six-furlong Atlantic Beach S. at Aqueduct last November, but failed to stay a when sixth...

   The TDN has partnered with Amplify Horse Racing to present "The Next Generation," an ongoing video series featuring young people who were not born into the Thoroughbred business, but are now excelling within the industry. The only thing six-year-old Samantha Bussanich needed was a trip to Calder Race Course with her grandfather to know that racing was the sport for her. Flash forward less than twenty years later, and she's now an alumna of the University of Kentucky, and has made a name for herself in many sectors of...

John C. Oxley homebred Beautiful Memories (Hard Spun) headlines a field of eight juvenile fillies set for Thursday's co-featured GIII Schuylerville S. at the Spa. Trained by Mark Casse, the chestnut aired by 10 lengths for 'TDN Rising Star' honors on debut at Churchill Downs May 28. She's registered a pair of bullet workouts in Louisville since, including a five-furlong spin in :59 1/5 (1/34) July 4. Beautiful Memories' third dam is champion older mare Beautiful Pleasure, who carried Oxley's gold-and-blue silks to six top-level victories, led by a win...

Looking for his first trip to the winner's circle since annexing the GI Preakness S. some 14 months ago, Gary Barber's War of Will (War Front) did it toughest, but called on all his class and determination to scratch out a short-head success in the GI Maker's Mark Mile as the Keeneland summer meeting reached its mid-point Friday. Drawn widest in the field of 10, the handsome blaze-faced bay raced three off the fence leaving the stretch for the first time and punched the breeze from up close as High...

2nd-KEE, $70K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 1:39 p.m. ET John Oxley's PALAZZI (Pioneerof the Nile) makes his career debut for trainer Mark Casse. Out of the stakes-winning and multiple graded-placed sprinter Kindle (Indian Charlie), the $510,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling graduate is a half to two-time winner Made in America (Tiznow). A year earlier, Palazzi realized $375,000 at Keeneland in November, while his year-younger brother, by American Pharoah, brought $2.2. million at that venue in September. Also worthy of note is first-time starter SWILL (Munnings), trained by Brad Cox, who has a...

1st-BEL, $64K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:15 p.m. Gary Barber's Frankel At Ascot (Fr) (Frankel {GB}) is one of several well-bred juveniles set to square off in this turf dash. The Mark Casse pupil was a €535,000 Arqana August yearling purchase by Justin Casse. She is out of stakes-winning juvenile Ascot Family (Ire), making her a half to precocious MGSW and GISP Family One (Fr) (Dubai Destination). The bay has fired a couple of bullets over the local dirt in preparation for this first go. Steal My Sunshine (Distorted Humor)...

The only female in Belmont's GIII Poker S. field Saturday, Gary Barber's Got Stormy (Get Stormy) enters the eight-furlong test packing top credentials as one of only two Grade I winners in the field of nine. Victorious in last summer's De La Rose S. against fillies at Saratoga, she returned a week later to score by 2 1/2 lengths over the boys in the GI Fourstardave H. Not ducking anyone when second in the GI Woodbine Mile and GI Breeders' Cup Mile last fall, she came from off the pace...

Last season's GI Belmont S. winner Sir Winston (Awesome Again) will attempt to return to the scene of his most important victory and try to add Saturday's GII Suburban S. to his resume. Runner up in the GIII Peter Pan S. prior to his win in the third jewel of the Triple Crown, the Tracy Farmer hombred was sidelined because of a left front ankle injury last summer. Resurfacing with a forgettable 12th after a troubled trip in a soggy renewal of the one-mile Woodchopper S. over the Fair Grounds...

Mark E. Casse, one of the newest members of the racing Hall of Fame, has joined the Water Hay Oats Alliance (WHOA). Successful in both the United States and Canada, Casse has won the Sovereign Award for Outstanding Trainer in Canada a record 12 times and was inducted into the Canadian Racing Hall of Fame in 2016. In a statement, Casse said, "After much thought, I have decided to join the WHOA. I continue to be frustrated by the lack of uniformity in our industry, and I know that WHOA...