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‘They Like To Win’: Casse Quietly Confident In Pair Of Lightly-Raced Kentucky Derby Starters

The Hall of Fame trainer will be wearing his game face on the first Saturday in May, but on this day, Mark Casse was happy to be sporting a playful smile.

Just under a week before the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby, Casse, who'll be represented by the talented duo of Helium, and Soup and Sandwich, was his typical busy self, but not too busy to take a few minutes out of his hectic schedule to talk about a pair of skilled 3-year-olds, one of whom could deliver him a cherished first.

Having already won two-thirds of the U.S. Triple Crown, the 2019 Preakness with War of Will, and the 2019 Belmont with Sir Winston, the conditioner with over 3,050 career victories, a record 13 Sovereign Awards (as Canada's champion trainer), and dual Hall of Fame credentials, will look to add a Kentucky Derby triumph to his vast list of accomplishments.

“I guess the one thing that comes to mind first is that they like to win,” said Casse of his Derby twosome. “Combined, they've started six times and have five wins and a second. I look at them both and shake my head in amazement in what they've been able to accomplish in such short racing careers. I'm very, very happy with them.”

The Indianapolis native has plenty of reason to be.

Helium, a bay son of Ironicus, is a perfect three-for-three in his career. The Kentucky-bred, owned by D.J. Stable LLC, made his first two starts over the Woodbine Tapeta, including a win second time out in the Display Stakes last October.

“He kind of surprised me when he ran first time and won,” recalled Casse of the maiden special weight score on September 27 at the Toronto oval. “He ran better than expected. I thought his next race was very good at Woodbine too. We were looking forward to running him in the Grey Stakes, but obviously because of weather and then COVID, that wasn't possible.”

The original 2021 plan for Helium, a $55,000 purchase at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, called for him to make his sophomore debut in the Grade 3 Lecomte on January 16 at Fair Grounds, but a wrenched ankle sidelined the colt temporarily. He was brought to Ocala and given about 10 days off before resuming training.

“He had a few hiccups along the way, but he trained well leading up to his first race of this year.”

That first race was the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby on March 6.

Casse considers the performance one of the most impressive he's seen over his 40-plus years in racing.

“I would say in all my time training, I've never seen a horse overcome so many different variables that said he shouldn't have won. From not running in four-and-a-half months, to first time on dirt, to first time around two turns, and his wide trip… I just never thought in a million years he could win running so wide.”

Those are just some of the reasons why he's confident of his charge's chances in the Derby.

While Helium isn't being billed as a top contender, Casse is happy to float above the radar leading up to the big race.

“A lot of people are underestimating him because they look at his Beyer from the Tampa Bay Derby. If you look at his Thoro-Graph numbers, which to me is my bible, what I go by, his number is extremely good. It's a 3. It usually takes a 1 or a ½ to win the Derby, so it's definitely within his range, especially if he improves off his last race. He's come back and trained well. He has this habit and it's that he likes to win.”

Soup and Sandwich has been as equally impressive in the lead-up to the biggest race of his career to-date.

Bred and owned by Live Oak Plantation, the Florida-bred son of Into Mischief didn't race as a 2-year-old but turned plenty of heads with a stellar runner-up showing in the Florida Derby on March 27.

The second-place performance was the third start for Soup and Sandwich, who won his debut at Gulfstream Park on January 28, and followed it up with another winner's circle trip, this time at Tampa Bay Downs on February 24.

“He was a horse that we thought a lot of as a 2-year-old,” offered Casse. “He still hasn't grown up completely. He's kind of a teenage kid. He doesn't always pay attention and has a short attention span. But he's gotten better. His first race was good, I thought his second race was excellent, and I thought his Florida Derby race was very good. In keeping with Thoro-Graph numbers, he ran a 1 ¾, which is huge. Looking at that, I think he has 65 per cent chance to run as good a race or better. It's big. It's really big. Both of these horses just have to move up a little bit to be right there in the Derby. I couldn't be happier really.”

Casse isn't the only one.

His jockeys for the big race seem to like their Derby chances as well.

“It's a funny little story. Tyler [jockey, Gaffalione], the first time he was on Soup and Sandwich – he worked him the other day – it happened that Julien [jockey, Leparoux] was helping us out, working another horse, not Helium. Pulling up, Tyler said, 'We're going to win the Kentucky Derby.' He was so excited after working the horse. Julien told him, 'Wait a second… you can be a good second.' So there's already a little smack talk going on. I think both riders are extremely excited and happy with their horses, just as I am.”

What would it mean for Casse to notch his first Derby victory?

“I may retire,” he said with a grin.

For now, it's all smiles with Casse.

It won't be long, however, until he's dialed-in on Derby day, game face and all.

The post ‘They Like To Win’: Casse Quietly Confident In Pair Of Lightly-Raced Kentucky Derby Starters appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: ‘Good Cowboys’ Let Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Real cowboys don't walk around calling themselves cowboys. You'll know you've met one when you come across an individual with an intuitive understanding of horses, who probably doesn't say very much, and who has earned the respect of everyone around them.

By all accounts, outrider Mike Chambless is as good a cowboy as they come. The 66-year-old earned the respect of every trainer, exercise rider, and pony person at Gulfstream Park during his tenure at the South Florida racetrack.

“I'm not that good at standing there talking to people, dealing with different mentalities and personalities,” Chambless said. “The horses are what I thrive on, and I'm only as good as the horse I'm sitting on.”

The Saturday of the Florida Derby, on April 3, was Chambless' last day at Gulfstream, and photographer Gwen Davis captured a powerful image of him during that afternoon's races that made the rounds on social media the next day.

It shows Chambless leaning against his horse, head bowed, drawing strength from a moment of solitude before climbing back into the saddle to finish out the day's card.

The moment was an emotional one, Chambless admitted. He had been experiencing severe back pain that afternoon (outriding isn't for the faint of heart), and it was also the last time he'd have a chance to ride the horse, Otis.

Chambless is stepping down from his post at Gulfstream to head home to the West Coast in order to help take care of his family. He'd sold his two outriding horses to a local hunter/jumper trainer in Florida, taking advantage of the opportunity to find them a great home after they'd worked hard for him for several years.

“The chance came up to sell them both at the same time, and it was to a gal I'd known since high school,” Chambless explained. “It was about time for a break.”

Otis made about $60,000 as a racehorse, and first came to Chambless about three years ago. The big gelding is kind and effective as an outriding horse, Chambless said, but just didn't have the early speed of his other horse, a little gray named Zeck.

Zeck was also the more difficult of the pair.

A sunrise over Gulfstream Park, as seen from the back of Zeck

“The owner that had him, that guy warned me, 'He'll bite your head off,'” Chambless remembered. “Well, I've been bit and I've been kicked, that's no problem. I ended up giving $500 for him. I didn't ride him for 30 days because I wanted him to change mentally. The first time I got on him he bucked the entire length of the racetrack. But that's okay.

“I started riding him to give him the confidence he needed in the mornings, hazing horses that were pulling up from their gallops, off the right, off the left. Letting him run up to the horse, and before he even gets to his head I've got him caught; it's all about the timing.

“Now when I'd go to get on him at 5:15 in the morning, he is like riding a freaking rabbit. He will hear a cricket fart in China, I kid you not. So I might not like him very much for 23 hours and 55 minutes of the day, but during that time when I really need him? That's when he shined.”

Chambless' patience stems from a childhood watching every move of his father, a Quarter Horse trainer. By the the time he was six, his dad would put him atop the pony every morning, hand him a racehorse on each side, and have Chambless leading them around at the walk to cool them out after training.

“When we were done, he'd pull the stock saddle off the pony, put a flat saddle on, and he never saw me again til feed time,” said Chambless. “My friends and I would ride all around the hills of Ruidoso. If I fell off, that pony would go right back to his stall at the barn, so I would just head back there, climb up on the fence, get back on and head out again.”

Watching his father interact with both his horses and other horsemen had a profound influence on Chambless throughout his life with horses.

“I was fortunate that growing up I was surrounded by good people that my dad had earned their respect, who could help open some doors for me,” he said. “My dad, he ran with good hands and good cowboys. All that adds up to me being fortunate to have had some decent and good horses that I enjoyed being on, and always treating people with some respect.”

In typical cowboy fashion, that respect seems to always go both ways.

“There wasn't anyone here that did not have great respect for him,” said Gulfstream-based trainer Lillian Klesaris.

While both his mind and his body are ready for a sabbatical from the racetrack, Chambless definitely hasn't seen the last of early-morning sunrises over a dirt oval. He may not be sure exactly where he'll end up next, but this cowboy won't stay away for long.

“A good catch horse can come from anywhere, but it's hard to find good outriders,” said Chambless. “I've been fortunate to ride with some good hands. If you can get a couple of good outriders together, then you can get the confidence of the trainers on your side. I think that's the biggest thing.”

Outrider Mike Chambless and “Otis” make a difficult left-handed catch on the Gulfstream Park turf course

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Grounded: Severe Weather Delays Known Agenda’s Flight To Kentucky

St. Elias Stable's homebred Known Agenda, a major Triple Crown contender following his impressive victory in the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa March 27 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., had a planned trip to Kentucky postponed 24 hours due to inclement weather.

Known Agenda was scheduled to fly from South Florida to Louisville Sunday but severe thunderstorms sweeping through the area pushed the flight to Monday, trainer Todd Pletcher said.

“There's some bad weather in Orlando, so they postponed the flight. He'll train [Monday] at Palm Beach Downs and then go,” he said. “We were scheduled to go today and then all the bad weather came in.”

A sophomore son of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin, Known Agenda had his first timed work since the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby April 9, an easy half-mile in 50.25 seconds at Palm Beach Downs.

“He's doing excellent. We're very happy with him,” Pletcher said. “He's showing good energy. He seems pleased with himself.”

Known Agenda worked in company with Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) winner Colonel Liam. At Churchill Downs he will join Wood Memorial (G2) winner Bourbonic and runner-up Dynamic One as well as Sainthood, second in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G2) at Turfway Park, as Pletcher's Kentucky Derby (G1) prospects.

“We were kind of monitoring the weather everywhere and the way things kind of unfolded last week with a couple horses in New York going to Louisville, it just seemed to make sense to consolidate there,” Pletcher said. “[Known Agenda] was scheduled to breeze [Saturday], we got that in, and now we'll get to Churchill and, hopefully, breeze on Friday there.”

Pletcher said he plans to give Known Agenda two works at Churchill in his attempt to win a third Derby. He won with Super Saver in 2010 and Always Dreaming in 2017, the latter one of the trainer's record six Florida Derby victories.

Always Dreaming, who counted St. Elias Stable among his large ownership group, went winless at 2 before breaking his maiden in his 3-year-old opener. He made his Gulfstream debut winning a 1 1/8-mile optional claiming allowance that earned him a shot in the Florida Derby, his first stakes race, which he captured by five lengths.

Known Agenda, meanwhile, won once in three juvenile starts and he, too, punched his Florida Derby ticket with an optional claiming allowance going 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream. His came Feb. 26, the first time he raced with blinkers.

“They're different personalities. Always Dreaming was the kind of horse that would really show off in the mornings and work fast and things like that,” Pletcher said, “where this horse is a little more laid-back personality. He's not one that's going to put in some super quick breezes, but I feel like the mile and a quarter is right in his wheelhouse and I like the way he's doing.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., Gulfstream's three-time defending Championship Meet leading rider, will ride Known Agenda in the Kentucky Derby. Pletcher has won a record 17 Championship Meet training titles, having his unprecedented streak snapped at 15 straight years in 2018-19.

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‘Improving’ Known Agenda Records Final Florida Work Before Shipping To Churchill Downs

Known Agenda recorded his first workout since the Florida Derby this Friday, breezing a half-mile in :50.37 in company with Pegasus Turf Winner Colonel Liam at Palm Beach Downs. According to the Daily Racing Form, trainer Todd Pletcher was pleased with what he saw from the 3-year-old son of Curlin.

The St. Elias Stable homebred has been a different horse since the addition of blinkers in a Feb. 26 allowance race at Gulfstream Park, which he won by 11 lengths. In his next start, the Florida Derby, Known Agenda post a 2 3/4-length upset at odds of 5-1.

“I think he's a horse who is improving, and the blinkers have kept him a little more focused and a little more engaged in the race,” Pletcher told DRF. “I think without the blinkers in the Florida Derby he might have been a little intimidated with the position he was in and he might not have made the progress he made from the five-eighths pole to the half-mile pole without them. But experience has also helped him. Time has helped him. The mile and an eighth certainly doesn't bother him. And I believe the added distance in the Derby is something we feel good about for all our horses.”

Pletcher's quartet of Kentucky Derby contenders and Longines Kentucky Oaks runner are scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs over the course of Sunday afternoon.

Pletcher is scheduled to have his Keeneland-based horses van from Lexington to Churchill Downs Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. and arrive just past noon. His South Florida-based runners are scheduled to arrive later in the afternoon along with his New York-based horses, according to Senior Director of the Stable Area Steve Hargrave.

Among the horses Pletcher is scheduled to send to Churchill Downs are Derby contenders Bourbonic, Dynamic One, Known Agenda and Sainthood and Oaks runner Malathaat.