Not long after Pappacap crossed the Gulfstream Park finish line in a debut victory May 14, 2021, trainer Mark Casse had big plans for Karen and George Russell's Florida homebred.
“After watching some of the horses breaking their maidens in Kentucky and New York – we were taking a small division out to California – I said to the Russells, 'You know, this horse would do well out in California. I think he could possibly win the Best Pal,'” the Hall of Fame trainer said.
Sure enough, Rustlewood Farm Inc.'s son of Gun Runner followed up his 2 ¾-length romp at Gulfstream with a 4 ¾-length score in the Best Pal (G2) at Del Mar. He went on to finish fourth in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) before concluding his 2-year-old season with second place finishes in the American Pharoah (G1) at Santa Anita and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Del Mar.
Pappacap, however, hasn't lived up to expectations thus far in his 3-year-old campaign. In a pair of stakes at Fair Grounds, Pappacap disappointed with a third-place finish as the 3-2 favorite in the Lecomte (G3) and an eighth-place finish in the Risen Star (G2).
Casse decided to regroup and brought Pappacap back to his Casse Training Center in Ocala, where the colt has trained forwardly for Saturday's Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'm' Dale Farms at Xalapa.
“I've trained a lot of horses and we've trained almost all of them, at one point or another, at our training center,” Casse said. “I'd say he's trained as well as any horse I've trained [here].”
Casse is hoping Pappacap can turn things around and give him his first Florida Derby win. He saddled Derby runners-up Soup and Sandwich (2021) and State of Honor (2017)
“Plan A worked out well,” Casse said. “Plan B in New Orleans for some reason didn't work out, so I'm hoping Plan C is better.”
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