Mark Casse

Damon Thayer has retired from his job as the Senate Majority Floor Leader in the state of Kentucky, where he was one of horse racing's staunchest and most important allies. Thayer may no longer be walking the halls of the Capitol in Frankfort, but he is still working hard to help the sport he loves. He is now a senior advisor with Thoroughbred Racing Initiative (TRI), a group devoted to stopping decoupling efforts at Gulfstream Park and to see to it that racing in South Florida remains a vital part...

Trainer Brad Cox's outfit was like a hen on a June bug towards the end of Keeneland's 'Fall Stars' meet and subsequently kept pouncing on wins at Churchill, Horseshoe Indy and Aqueduct as the calendar flipped to the more autumn-like weather of November. Louisville's favorite son collected 20 winner's circle visits across 61 starts from Oct. 21 on, which included a Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) playlist in the GIII Hagyard Fayette Stakes, an Oaks points deposit for Life of Joy (Gun Runner) in the Rags to Riches Stakes and...

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Barry Irwin's Team Valor will offer a handful of accomplished racemares, consigned by Bluewater Sales, during Monday's Fasig-Tipton November Sale. And in a business where timing and asset appreciation is everything, the operation's Special Wan (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) (hip 155) comes into the boutique sale just as her connections might hope. Trained by Brendan Walsh, the 5-year-old mare has won four of her six starts in this country and enters the 'Night of the Stars' off victories in the GIII Ladies' Turf Stakes at Kentucky Downs on...

The World Championships concluded Saturday with sterling efforts and drama abound, and the connections of the newly crowned took Sunday morning to provide updates on their charges as they look ahead. Trainer Michael McCarthy reported that all six of his Breeders' Cup horses came out of their races in good order, and plans for MGISW Journalism (Curlin)--whether to continue racing or retirement--will be finalized in the coming week. The colt finished fourth in the Classic under new rider Jose Ortiz. "This is more or less what we've seen from him...

On both coasts, preparations for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic continued as leading contenders from the West took to the track, and hopefuls from the East began finalizing travel plans. Scheduled to walk Saturday morning after the trio put in Friday works at Saratoga, Todd Pletcher-trainee Antiquarian (Preservationist) will ship to Del Mar Sunday in advance of the World Championships along with stablemates Fierceness (City of Light) and Mindframe (Constitution). "I don't think [Antiquarian is] a particularly difficult horse to ride," said Pletcher. "I think he needs a strong rider....

Graded stakes winners Bring Theband Home (Into Mischief) and Final Accord (War of Will) posted their final works for trainer Mark Casse over Belmont's training track on Sunday in preparation for this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar. Bring Theband Home, winner of the GII Troy Stakes at Saratoga this summer, will run in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint while GIII Matron scorer Final Accord is expected to run in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. "We thought they both went really well, and we're excited,"...

The eighth installment in the 2025 OwnerView webinar series was held Oct. 14 and covered how trainers are adjusting to new Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) rules, the conference series said via a Thursday press release. Panelists included Ben Mosier, executive director of HIWU; Dr. Michael Hardy, the acting chief of science with HIWU; and trainers Mark Casse, Kelsey Danner and Ron Moquett. Specific topics included implementation and how HIWU has adjusted its ADMC program rules based on feedback from horsemen. The event, hosted by The Jockey Club of...

Tracy Farmer's Time To Dazzle, last seen finishing second behind In Our Time  in a 6 1/2-furlong optional claimer over the Kentucky Downs turf Sept. 10, turned the tables on that rival with a powerful last-to-first rally to win the GII Franklin Stakes at Keeneland Sunday. The 3-1 shot settled at the back of the field as In Our Time battled favored Luna Louska (Complexity) on the front end through a blistering opening quarter in :20.65. In Our Time skipped away entering the straight and was clear as the half...

1st-Woodbine, C$76,593, Msw, 10-10, 2yo, 1 1/16m (AWT), 1:47.62, ft, 2 lengths. SILENT TACTIC (c, 2, Tacitus--Magical Sign, by Gun Runner) survived an inquiry to become the fifth winner for his freshman sire (by Tapit) Friday. Breaking from the rail, the 9-2 shot spotted the field a step and stayed inside as a group stacked up on the lead into the clubhouse turn. Sitting a length back in third through fractions of :23.67 and :50.15, the OBS April grad had to be tipped out for a clear path to come...

Miguel Clement sent out a pair of runners to earn automatic berths in Breeders' Cup races with wins at Aqueduct this past weekend and the trainer expects both to make the trip to Del Mar, but other conditioners were taking a wait-and-see approach before committing their Aqueduct stakes winners to championship weekend. The Clement-trained Bottas (Vekoma) took his record to two-for-two with a win in the GII Pilgrim Stakes Friday. That victory earned him a spot in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. "Bottas was very impressive in just his...

by Jill Williams & J.N. Campbell A spectacular Fall Stars Weekend both continues and concludes Sunday at Keeneland, highlighted by the GI Juddmonte Spinster Stakes, a 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 1. While entries may seem sparse for such an historic race with a $650,000 purse, they pack a punch with the reigning Horse of the Year, Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), making her first start in front of the home crowd since her open daylight debut over this surface at this meet two...

The undefeated Ewing (Knicks Go) has been scratched from Saturday's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland after he returned from a workout "not at 100%" according to his part-owner, Griffin Johnson. Johnson, who announced the news on X, wrote, "West Point and I wanted to break the news that our handsome boy, Ewing, will be scratched from the GI Breeders Futurity. He came out of his work not at 100% (Friday) morning and will be sent home for full exam. Sorry to all the racing fans, but as Mark Casse...