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Pegasus Turf Winner Colonel Liam The Horse To Beat In Muniz Memorial

The early returns on Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam were admirable enough for a young horse. A diet of steady works allowed the son of Liam's Map to post a victory via disqualification in his career debut and, while he was beaten in his second outing, there was reason to believe Todd Pletcher, his Eclipse Award-winning conditioner had plenty to work with moving forward.

In order to bring that upside to the surface, however, Pletcher needed to get the gray colt a change in surface scenery. Since switching Colonel Liam to the grass, Pletcher has indeed found himself with a new stable star on his hands, one who can further enhance his budding reputation when he starts in Saturday's $300,000 Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes (G2) against 11 rivals at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Contested at 1 1/8 miles over the Stall-Wilson Turf Course, the Muniz is race 12-of-14 and one of eight stakes races on Saturday's program. The headliner is the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2)—a Championship Series event on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The All Stakes Late Pick Five (races 10-14) and All Stakes Late Pick Four (races 11-14) are both estimated at $750,000.

The expectations Colonel Liam (post 5 as the 3-1 favorite on Mike Diliberto's morning line, with Irad Ortiz Jr. to ride) has carried since being purchased for $1.2 million at the 2019 OBS April 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale were met in his last start when he prevailed in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park on January 23. Since making his first two starts on dirt, Colonel Liam has won three of his four tries on the turf—confirming Pletcher's belief that life on the lawn would ultimately bring out the 4-year-old's best intangibles.

“We always sort of had in the back of our minds that he's got quite a bit of turf on the bottom side of his pedigree,” said Pletcher, a finalist for racing's Hall of Fame class this season. “He trained well enough on the dirt that we got him started but we also felt like maybe we weren't quite seeing the best of him. We worked him on the turf at Saratoga and that's when we saw a significant improvement. That's why we switched him to the turf, and he seems to have found a home there.”

The only blemish Colonel Liam has had on the turf came when he was bumped hard at the start of the Saratoga Derby last August en route to finishing fourth. A signal of what was to come then emerged last December when he came from off the pace to capture Gulfstream Park's Tropical Park Derby by 3 ¼ lengths.

In his first try against older horses and first venture into graded stakes company, Colonel Liam accelerated in the lane to best stablemate Largent by a neck in the Pegasus Turf while taking down a field that included grade 1 winner Next Shares and fellow Muniz entrant Pixelate.

“We felt very good coming into (the Pegasus),” Pletcher said. “He had got what we'd hoped for in the prep race and subsequently came back and trained great. We were very optimistic that he was sitting on a good race and would perform well. Aside from (the Saratoga Derby), he's been perfect on the grass and I think he's versatile enough he can handle multiple distances.”

The turf male ranks were ripe with parity last season as the top contenders took turns beating up on one another. Should Colonel Liam perform as expected in the Muniz, Pletcher would likely target the $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs on May 1 with hopes of having his charge emerge as a definitive divisional leader.

“I will say now as an older horse, he has trained more impressively on the dirt than he used to so at some point we might consider trying that again, but he's doing so well on the grass now that we felt that the Muniz was good timing wise to hopefully propel him forward to the race at Churchill on Derby Day,” Pletcher said. “Right now, the plan it to hopefully go from the Muniz to Churchill and then there is a really good schedule of some high-quality grass races all summer. Hopefully we can have a good season with him.”

Gaining Ground Racing's Factor This (post 1 at 4-1 with Shaun Bridgmohan) will try stymie Colonel Liam's progression as he takes to the course where he has earned two of his four career graded stakes victories for trainer Brad Cox. The 6-year-old son of The Factor captured last year's Muniz Memorial—part of a four-race win streak for the bay horse—but has been off the board in his last three starts, including a fifth-place run in the February 13 Fair Grounds (G3).

“(Being on the rail) going 1 1/8 miles doesn't play a big role or scare me any, being down inside,” Cox said. “I like him better in this race than in the last race, from the standpoint that it looks like we're going to have a little bit of a softer pace and not be pressed as much, and that's what he likes. There's no secret about how he likes to run and the trip he needs; he needs to be able to take a breather and hopefully he can be able to get that on Saturday.”

Though Godolphin's homebred Pixelate (post 12 at 8-1 with Luis Saez) was fifth behind Colonel Liam in the Pegasus Turf, he was beaten less than 3 lengths by the winner and has the back class of his victory in the Del Mar Derby (G2) last September for trainer Mike Stidham.

“He ran very well (in the Pegasus Turf), he only got beaten a few lengths,” said Stidham. “He's one of those horses that, every time he runs, he's going to give you a huge effort. We're taking a shot; this race did come up very tough. But I think we're live, he tries every time, and if he gets a decent trip from that outside post, I think we're in there with a decent chance.”

Lothenbach Stables' homebred Captivating Moon (post 3 at 12-1 with Marcelino Pedroza) comes into the Muniz off a victory in the February 13 Fair Grounds, the first graded win for the 6-year-old horse in 29 career starts for trainer Chris Block. He is cross-entered in the New Orleans Classic (G2).

Completing the Muniz Memorial field from the rail out: Paul Braverman and owner-trainer Tom Morley's Ninety One Assault (post 2 at 30-1 with Mitchell Murrill), a Louisiana-bred stakes winner who is 7-for-11 over the Stall-Wilson; Three Diamonds Farm's Cross Broder (post 4 at 5-1 with Jose Ortiz), third in the Pegasus Turf for trainer Mike Maker; JPS Racing's Logical Myth (post 6 at 6-1 with Adam Beschizza); a two-time stakes winner at the meet and second in the Fair Grounds for trainer Joe Sharp; Wolfe Racing and owner-trainer Hugh Robertson's Two Emmys (post 7 at 20-1 with James Graham), who won an optional-claimer here in February; Terry Hamilton's Spooky Channel (post 8 at 8-1 with Florent Geroux), who enters off a win in the January 31 John B. Connally (G3) at Sam Houston for trainer Brian Lynch; Paradise Farms Corp and David Staudacher's Conviction Trade (post 9 at 15-1 with Joel Rosario), third in the Connally for Maker; JSM Equine's Peace Achiever (post 10 at 20-1 with Declan Carroll), third in the Fair Grounds for trainer Mark Casse; and Gary Barber's Olympic Runner (post 11 at 8-1 with John Velazquez), second, beaten a neck, in the February 27 Canadian Turf (G3) at Gulfstream for Casse.

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Favored Owendale To Be Challenged By Returning Grade 1 Winner Roadster In New Orleans Classic

Rupp Racing's multiple graded stakes winner Owendale headlines a competitive field of eight older horses for Saturday's 96th running of the $400,000 New Orleans Classic (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Run at 1 1/8 miles, the New Orleans Classic is Race 11-of-14 and one of eight stakes races on Saturday's program. The headliner is the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2)—a Championship Series event on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The All Stakes Late Pick Five (races 10-14) and All Stakes Late Pick Four (races 11-14) are both estimated at $750,000.

Trained by Brad Cox, Owendale began his 5-year-old campaign with a third-place effort in the Feb. 27 Razorback (G3) at Oaklawn Park behind top Dubai World Cup (G1) contender Mystic Guide. Installed as Mike Diliberto's 9-5 morning line favorite, the Into Mischief colt will break from post 2 with Florent Geroux aboard as he eyes his first graded stakes score since his 3-year-old campaign.

“Looking back, he didn't get the greatest trip behind a really tough horse (Mystic Guide),” Cox said of the Razorback. “It didn't appear that you wanted to be down inside at all that weekend, so we're hopeful he can move forward. I like the mile and an eighth with him. He's made about half of his money at the distance and we're hoping we can get his form turned around. We changed things up with Joel (Rosario) at Oaklawn but Florent knows the horse really well and I'm excited to get him back (aboard).”

Breaking to the inside of Owendale is Speedway Stable's 2019 Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Roadster (3-1 with John Velazquez), who is making his first start in more than a year for new trainer Mike Stidham. The Quality Road colt was previously campaigned in California by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert and ran 15th in the 2019 Kentucky Derby.

“We got him at the end of the year,” Stidham said. “He's had issues with his feet since he was a 2-year-old so we had a little stopping and starting since I got him. But right now, we got him as good as he can be. You can see by his worktab, he's worked three quarters of a mile three times in a row. But he's coming off a year layoff, so he needed that to feel like I had him ready to go a mile and an eighth in a Grade 2 race.”

JMJ Racing Stables' Olliemyboy (post 3 at 12-1 with Irad Ortiz Jr.) will attempt his first start in graded stakes company for trainer Norm Casse following two consecutive allowance victories at the meet. Prior to entering Casse's barn at the end of 2020, the now 4-year-old son of Union Rags had competed primarily over the Tapeta surface at Woodbine. In his first dirt try at two turns, Olliemyboy crushed a first-level allowance field by 4 ¼ lengths and followed that performance with a 1 ½-length victory at against second-level allowance company.

“He wasn't flashy training on the dirt and I honestly didn't know what to expect when we led this horse over the first time,” Casse said. “He's earned his way into this race by doing all the right things. I'm really excited. His work two weeks ago was the best since I've had him. We put him in company with a fairly decent horse and it was heads up and we came back and just worked him a half-mile like he did before he won the second allowance. He's on the same pattern, but I feel like he's training very well and he looks fantastic. We are not dummies, we know we are longshots in here, but I think he's got a really good shot.”

Another quality horse expected to garner attention in the New Orleans Classic is Courtlandt Farms' three-time winner Sonneman (post 8 at 9-2 with Joe Talamo), who finished second behind Maxfield in the February 13 Mineshaft (G3)—the local prep for this race. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Sonneman recorded a powerful 5 ¾-length victory in early November at Churchill Downs.

Completing the New Orleans Classic from the rail out: Lothenbach Stables' homebred Captivating Moon (post 4 at 10-1 with Marcelino Pedroza), an upset winner of the Feb. 13 Fair Grounds (G3) on turf who is also cross-entered in R12, the $300,000 Muniz Memorial (G2) for trainer Chris Block; John Oxley's Enforceable (post 5 at 8-1 with Adam Beschizza), fifth in the Mineshaft for trainer Mark Casse; Estate of James Coleman's Chess Chief (post 6 at 6-1 with Luis Saez), a closing third in the Mineshaft for trainer Dallas Stewart; and Wayne T. Davis' Mocito Rojo (post 7 at 30-1 with James Graham), sixth in the local Tenacious in February for trainer Shane Wilson.

Watch and wager on Saturday's action from Fair Grounds on the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Inc. – TwinSpires.com.

Additional New Orleans Classic quotes:

Stidham, Roadster: It's an aggressive spot but he's doing good and he's a quality horse; he won the Santa Anita Derby at a mile and an eighth. I feel like we've got him in peak condition, he looks like a million dollars, and he's training well, so we're going to take a shot. And the other thing is I didn't feel like this race was coming up as tough as it has in previous years. I figure we're taking a shot, but it's not a monster-tough race. – trainer Mike Stidham

Casse, Olliemyboy: We left the decision up to Adam (jockey Beschizza). He likes both horses, so it wasn't a matter of picking between them, it was more about staying loyal to my father (Mark) and to Mr. (John) Oxley. He got to ride that horse (Enforceable) in the Kentucky Derby and he wanted to be loyal to that horse. I would love to have Adam on. He's undefeated on our horse, he knows him very well and he has a lot of confidence on him but I think we brought in a bang-up substitute off the bench to say the least. It's a pretty wide-open race. It's a grade II for a lot of money and there are some good horses in there. I think the main for us is it's nine furlongs, which is right up his wheelhouse, we've won two races over the track already, so we are a horse who seems to be getting better every time he runs and these are the types of chances you take with horses like that.

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With ‘Phenomenal Workouts,’ Risen Star Winner Mandaloun Leads Louisiana Derby Field

Mention Juddmonte Farms' homebred Mandaloun to trainer Brad Cox and the reaction is telling. And immediate. Cox is looking forward to showing the rest of the racing world what he's thought all along—that Mandaloun is one serious 3-year-old—when he starts as a strong favorite in a sterling renewal of Saturday's 108th running of the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Run at 1 3/16 miles, the Louisiana Derby will offer 170 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, on a 100-40-20-10 scale, and highlight a robust 14-race card that includes eight stakes overall, including the supporting feature, the $400,000 TwinSpires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) for 3-year-old fillies.

Mandaloun (post 6, as Mike Diliberto's 8-5 morning line favorite, with Florent Geroux to ride), a son of Into Mischief, burst on the national scene as a 2-year-old, easily winning both starts sprinting in Kentucky at short odds. Things didn't go as swimmingly in his 3-year-old debut, however, as he was third at odds-on in the local Lecomte (G3) in January, finishing behind winter rivals Midnight Bourbon and Proxy. Mandaloun was also making his two-turn and stakes debut in the Lecomte, and after taking a step back to look at the big picture, Cox wasn't as disappointed as maybe the betting public and Mandaloun's fan club was.

“You have to keep in mind it was his first start around two turns and first start in a stakes and he was a little bit wide the entire way,” Cox said. “I think he got a lot out of the race and moved forward off it. From a physical standpoint he looks like he's continued to develop.”

Cox also decided to make what would be a key equipment change after the Lecomte, as he put blinkers on for the Feb. 13 Risen Star (G2). Mandaloun trained brilliantly in the mornings with blinkers and backed Cox's high praise in the afternoon, when a much more polished colt turned the tables on both Proxy and Midnight Bourbon with an authoritative 1 ¼-length win, while earning the 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points that went with it. To Cox, the win and marked improvement was due to a combination of things.

“More than anything, it was just the experience of having the race going two turns under his belt,” Cox said afterwards. “I think the blinkers did help out. Florent immediately made a comment after the race. Much more focused in the post parade, more focused on his job. We didn't put a bunch of cup on him, just like a one-inch cup, but it seems to have done the trick to get him mentally over the top, mentally getting him where he needs to be.”

With the Risen Star behind him, and a berth in the Run of the Roses already assured, Mandaloun heads to the Louisiana Derby in a bit of an interesting position. Cox, who won the race last year with Wells Bayou, doesn't want to squeeze the lemon dry Saturday, even though there are a million reasons to do so. Mandaloun has continued to flourish in his training, highlighted by a March 6 bullet :59 1/5 drill going five furlongs over the track, which gives his trainer that much more confidence that he can pull off an elusive double that hasn't accomplished since Grindstone did it in 1996.

“His last two works have been phenomenal; we've done as much with him in the morning than we can do,” Cox said. “The goal is to get the job done on Saturday. He's going to have six weeks to recover, if he runs the way we hope he should, to point to the Kentucky Derby. There will be a period there where he can recover then hopefully, we can start cranking him up towards the end of April for the first Saturday in May.”

Godolphin's homebred Proxy (post 4 at 7-2 with John Velazquez) was a game second in the Risen Star and will try to emulate Mandaloun's path to victory, as he'll add blinkers for the meet's signature race. The son of Tapit has been a meet-long work in progress for trainer Mike Stidham, who has continually said the best is yet to come for a colt still on the improve. Proxy, who is 2-for-5 lifetime, broke his maiden and won an optional-claimer earlier in the meet before running second in the Lecomte, but after losing focus and dropping back entering the far turn of the Risen Star, only to re-break and salvage second, Stidham felt the time was right for a change.

“There were just a number of reasons why the blinkers were added,” Stidham said. “If you look at all of his races here at the Fair Grounds, in every race you can kind of see him doing a little erratic stuff, whether it be shying away, drifting out, or losing focus like he did in the Risen Star. You can't win Kentucky Derbies or Louisiana Derbies by doing that.”

Proxy has since worked three times with blinkers, which includes a Feb. 26 bullet 47 seconds flat four-furlong move. Stidham is confident the equipment change will have an impact, as will the elongated distance of the Louisiana Derby

“I felt like the works with blinkers, in company, he was definitely a little handier for the rider and more focused,” Stidham said. “We're finally getting these horses at our game; without a doubt the 1 3/16 miles is a big help. I'm welcoming the added distance and I'm hoping things go well here and then we get even more distance in Kentucky.”

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon (post 7 at 5-1 with Joe Talamo) will look to rebound after running third in the Risen Star, though he was beaten just 1 ¾ lengths in what was only slight regression after his strong Lecomte win for trainer Steve Asmussen. The son of Tiznow wired the Lecomte but settled in second in the Risen Star before tiring slightly late while showing plenty of versatility and backing up his biggest career win. Midnight Bourbon is 2-for-6 lifetime and gives Asmussen reason for excitement as he jumps back in to try Mandaloun and Proxy once again.

“I've always thought those three were very serious 3-year-olds, not just at the Fair Grounds but they are as good a prospect as you want to be around and I don't think they've done nothing to change anybody's opinion of that,” Asmussen said. “The addition of blinkers on the one (Mandaloun) and Proxy has been consistent, with the pedigrees they have, all three of them (including Midnight Bourbon) are capable, but at this point of your 3-year-old year, you either get better or you get beat. You've got to improve. What you've done (so far) is not going to be enough.”

Tom Durant's Run Classic (post 3 at 12-1 with Brian Hernandez Jr.) won a two-turn maiden special weight on the Risen Star undercard and will look to emulate history for trainer Bret Calhoun, who pulled the same double in 2019, when By My Standards broke his maiden on Risen Star Day and went on to win the Louisiana Derby. Calhoun knows it's a big ask, but he also knows he's got a son of Run Happy who is loaded with potential.

“We've been high on him for a long time; he's shown talent, he's performed up to expectations so far,” Calhoun said. “I know it's a big step forward, but we wouldn't be attempting this if we didn't think he was a pretty smart, good-minded horse”

Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, and William Strauss' Hot Rod Charlie (post 5 at 3-1 with Joel Rosario) adds plenty of California class to the equation, as he was second to 2-year-old champion Essential Quality in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland in November for trainer Doug O'Neill. The son of Oxbow returned at 3 to be third behind the talented Medina Spirit in the Jan. 30 Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita and invades for a barn that won Risen Star in 2007 and Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) in 2016 and 2017. Hot Rod Charlie is just 1-for-6 lifetime but owns a maiden win, to go with the Juvenile and Lewis runs, in what are his only three starts at two turns on the dirt. O'Neill's assistant Leandro Moro will be the trainer of record on Saturday.

Barrett Bernard, Tagg Team Racing, and West Point Thoroughbreds' O Besos (post 8 at 15-1 with Marcelino Pedroza) was fourth in the Risen Star, in what was his two-turn debut. The son of Orb won twice sprinting at the meet for trainer Greg Foley before stretching out in an encouraging effort that he could build on.

Wayne T. Davis' Rightandjust (post 2 at 20-1 with Colby Hernandez), was sixth after setting the pace in the Risen Star for trainer Shane Wilson, and owner-trainer Dallas Stewart and WinStar Farm's Starrininmydreams (post 1 at 20-1 with Luis Saez) was ninth, in what was his seasonal debut.

Additional Louisiana Derby quotes:

Stidham, Proxy: His last work, we weren't looking for anything special. He worked by himself and he was comfortable going easy fractions. He's run four times at the meet and I know I have a fit horse, so I wasn't looking for anything fast, just a nice even, steady work. I don't worry about the blinkers making him overly aggressive, since he's not that type of horse. Even with the blinkers, you have to make him do what he does. He's not a horse that is going to drag you out of the saddle.

We would love to win this race; it's an important race for the horse and for my own personal reasons. But the only thing I'm truly looking for is this horse to take another step forward on numbers. If that meant running a huge race and running second, I would accept that because obviously the ultimate goal is having a horse that is going to be competitive in the Kentucky Derby.

Calhoun, Run Classic: He's pretty much done everything right so far and it seems like he's moved forward since the last race. I can tell he's a little more serious about his works. He was just doing things on raw talent and ability early on and I don't how much he knew what he was doing. Now he seems more focused on the task which translates to him being even that much more impressive in the mornings.

It looks like a pretty honest pace. It looks like there are several of them in there that show pretty good route speed. My horse has the ability to get pretty good position early on. If they're going too fast, I think Brian (jockey Hernandez, Jr.) will be sitting off of it. The added distance is definitely a concern, but I think it's a concern for all of them. I understand pedigree-wise it raises some questions (for us) but physically he looks like this is what he's meant to do. In his last race, Brian made this horse finish up and gallop out quite a bit and I don't think we got to the bottom of the tank. In his recent works, he's come home pretty quick. He's got a high cruising speed and he accelerates pretty strongly late and gallops out pretty strong. He hasn't shown us any distance limitations in the mornings. Obviously, a mile-and-three-sixteenths is going to be a big test for him as well as some of the others.”

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Norm Casse Hoping Olliemyboy Takes ‘Another Step Up’ In New Orleans Classic

It's probably fitting that Norm Casse trains Olliemyboy. Up and coming trainer. Up and coming horse. Both are hoping to snag a big prize on the national scene when Casse saddles Olliemyboy as a live longshot in the New Orleans Classic (G2) on the March 20 undercard of the TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) program at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Dennis Narlinger's JMJ Racing Stables' owns Olliemyboy, an Ontario-sired 4-year-old son of Union Rags who has impressed winning a pair of 1 1/16-mile dirt starts at the meet. He arrived in Casse's barn toward the end of 2020 after going 1-for-6 with trainer Arnaud Delacour and Sid Attard combined. He ran primarily over the Tapeta at Woodbine, including finishing 11th in the Queen's Plate in September against fellow Canadian foals, and came to Casse more by circumstance than anything else.

“Dennis wanted him to be based at the Fair Grounds,” Casse said. “He has a lot of trainers, but I was his only trainer that has horses here. I basically got the horse by default from Sid. I didn't do much with him, just put him into our program, and got him ready.”

Casse initially wanted to run Olliemyboy on the turf in an entry-level allowance here Jan. 14 but when the race was washed off the grass, he left him in and the result was a somewhat surprising, yet convincing 4 ¼-length win. Casse still went seeking turf but another allowance race didn't fill, which prompted him to enter back on the dirt in a Feb. 20 optional-claimer. Olliemyboy lagged well off a solid pace, made a wide, menacing move on the far turn, and drew away strongly late for a 1 ½-length win over a very solid group of accomplished runners.

“We've really been better lucky than good,” Casse admitted. “Having the race come off the turf and it was kind of an easy race. Then we were in between running him back on dirt or trying him on the turf, and the turf race didn't go. So, our hands have been played for us.”

The win last-out prompted Casse to look ahead to deeper waters, and with the big $400,000 purse of the New Orleans Classic, a 1 1/8-mile race over a Fair Grounds main track that Olliemyboy clearly likes, the time is right to take a shot with a horse who continues to improve. It also doesn't hurt that the undefeated Maxfield, who is 2-for-2 at the meet, is shipping out to California for the March 6 Santa Anita Handicap (G1).

“It's another step up, but I think it's a pretty wide-open race,” Casse said. “He's going to have to have some help on the front end, but I think he'll be very, very competitive in it. We're not going to try and reinvent the wheel. We're just going to train him the same way he came into the last two; just some nice solid works and hopefully he shows that next progression.”

Casse knows what it's like to be around a top-quality horse, as he served as his dad Mark's top assistant before going out on his own in 2018. Norm Casse was integral in the success of champions like Tepin and Classic Empire, who helped Mark Casse earn racing's highest honor in 2020, when he was elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

Norm Casse had sent horses to Fair Grounds in the past, but also split his stock at Palm Meadows in Florida while running at Gulfstream Park. This year he decided to focus solely at Fair Grounds, and has enjoyed plenty of success, going 21-5-1-3 at the meet. With trainers like Brad Cox, Steve Asmussen, and Tom Amoss stabled locally, Casse knows New Orleans is the perfect place to earn his keep.

“Two-thirds of the guys that were nominated for the Eclipse Award for leading trainer are based here, so it's obviously a very good place to be,” Casse said. “I've got 24 here and that's my entire barn. It was an easy decision. Fair Grounds gave me the opportunity to have all my horses in one place instead of being spread out and that allowed me to concentrate on one racetrack.”

Casse brought a mix of maidens, claimers, and allowance horses with him and is constantly trying to build a stable he would like to see number reach 60-70 horses in the future. Whether it was learning from his Hall of Fame father, or competing on a day-in, day-out basis against the likes of a Hall of Famer and Eclipse Award winner in Asmussen, Eclipse Award winner Cox, and 11-time local champion in Amoss, Casse has tried to soak as much in as possible.

“I feel like if you're not learning something every day, you're not approaching it the right way,” Casse said. “You try to win every race but when you don't win, hopefully you learn from that. I hold my program and my stable in high regard, and I believe that when I bring horses over, even if it's a straight maiden race against Brad, Steve, or Tom, that we can compete with them and I believe in that.”

A Louisville native, Casse will head back to Churchill Downs after the meet and then to Saratoga over the summer. Where Olliemyboy runs at during those meets is still to be determined, but it's been so far, so good with a horse that might not fit the mold of most of Casse's horses.

“He's a cool horse,” Casse said. “He's not the style of horse that I like. I like a horse that shows good early speed and is tactical, he honestly drops back and makes one run. In the morning he's unremarkable. You wouldn't think he'd be a horse that's won two pretty good allowance races back-to-back and is being pointed to a Grade 2 in his next start, but he obviously takes care of business in the afternoons.”

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