Strategic Risk

Dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse's two projected starters for the GII Rebel Stakes for 3-year-olds had their final workouts for the Mar. 1 race on a chilly Friday morning at Oaklawn, the track said in a press release on Friday. With Kylee Jordan up, Strategic Risk (Noble Bird) breezed five furlongs in 1:00 just after the track opened for training. Following a surface renovation break roughly two hours later, Silent Tactic (Tacitus) covered a half-mile in :47.40 under two-time Oaklawn riding champion Cristian Torres. The track was fast....

John Oxley's Silent Tactic (Tacitus) will likely make his next start in the Mar. 1 GII Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park following his upset victory in the GIII Southwest Stakes Friday in Arkansas, trainer Mark Casse confirmed. The Southwest was Casse's third consecutive victory in a Kentucky Derby qualifying race at Oaklawn, following last season's GI Arkansas Derby with Sandman (Tapit) and the Jan. 3 Smarty Jones Stakes with Strategic Risk (Noble Bird). Silent Tactic closed to finish second in the 1 1/16-mile Smarty Jones. "The thing, too, it wasn't...

Strategic Risk (Noble Bird) rolled into town from Florida, and not only topped the exacta in the Smarty Jones Stakes for his connections, but also took home Kentucky Derby points in the process. Dominating a maiden field at first asking June 7 at Gulfstream Park against fellow Florida-breds, he missed the board in back to back graded starts at Saratoga, but bounced back to run third Oct. 18 in the Florida Sired Affirmed Stakes. Building on that effort, and at his first trip at 1 1/16-miles over the main track...

Capital Partner (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Dr. Agne (Into Mischief), a pair of 'TDN Rising Stars off debut maiden wins at the Spa, headline the GIII With Anticipation Stakes for 2-year-olds on the inner turf at Saratoga Thursday. The $175,000 event is run over 1 1/16 miles and features a field of eight. Klaravich Stables Inc.'s Capital Partner, favored at 5-2 on the morning line, did not have the smoothest of trips on debut Aug. 2 at this distance. He was fractious in the gate, bumped more than once, rank,...

Saratoga's opening weekend kicks off with a trio of graded stakes Friday--the GI Belmont Derby, GII Suburban Stakes and GIII Manila Stakes. Saturday's card features three additional graded tests, including the GI Belmont Oaks. The day's undercard is highlighted by the GIII Sandford and GIII Kelso. The Belmont Derby offers a salty assembly of turf horses, including European invader Luther (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who is trained by Charlie Fellowes. In three starts this term, Luther was runner-up on the synthetic at Chelmsford in April before finishing fourth behind winner Henri...