Mark Casse | Horse Racing Free Tips

Boppy O a First Graded Winner for Bolt d’Oro in With Anticipation

Just four days after his son Mounsieur Coco took the Proud Man S. over the Gulfstream all-weather, Boppy O (Bolt d'Oro) became the first graded-stakes winner for his freshman sire (by Medaglia d'Oro) and led home a top-three sweep for first-crop stallions when causing a 23-1 upset in Wednesday's GIII With Anticipation S. at Saratoga.

Ridden for some speed by Dylan Davis while making his first venture on the grass and over a distance of ground, the $190,000 Keeneland September yearling–a half-brother to last year's GII Best Pal S. hero and this season's GI Woody Stephens S. third, stablemate Pappacap (Gun Runner)–sat up right on the moderate pace set by fellow longshot El Conejito (Palace) through a half-mile in :50.09 over a turf course officially rated good, but tossing up times that suggested a fair bit more ease than that. Andthewinneris (Oscar Performance), a debut winner sprinting over the Keeneland turf course in April and favored by just less than $4,000 over the rail-drawn Battle of Normandy (City of Light) clocked the pacesetters from a close-up third and was first to come after them with every conceivable chance to run by. But he could not seal the deal when one-paced into the final eighth of a mile, and Boppy O kept on well enough to hit the line about a neck better than Battle of Normandy, who might have had his momentum stalled ever so slightly in upper stretch, but kicked on strongly to just miss.

“I was training Pappacap and Mr. Oxley called me at the sale and he said, 'Mark, have you looked at Pappacap's half-brother?' recollected rainer Mark Casse, who sent out Coinage (Tapit) to win last year's With Anticipation. “I said, 'I have and I really like him.' Then [Breeze Easy's] Mike Hall came up to me..and he said, 'Have you seen Pappacap's half-brother?' I said, 'I have, and Mr. Oxley's going to try to buy him. This is not going to be good.' So they said, 'Why don't we go together?' I called Mr. Oxley up and said, 'They're going to go after him, what do you think?' He said, 'Let's go partners.' And that's how it worked out.”

Just as Pappacap had done 371 days prior, Boppy O graduated at first asking in a five-furlong Gulfstream maiden May 20, but the bay never fired in this track's GII Sanford S., finishing a distant 10th behind Mo Strike (Uncle Mo).

“I kept telling the Oxleys and Mike Hall and Sam Ross after the race [the Sanford], 'Look, he's better than what you saw. I promise you, he's better than that,” Casse explained.

Pedigree Notes:

Boppy O is one of four winners from four to the races for Pappascat, who earned Grade III black-type with a longshot second in the 2014 GIII Cardinal H. over the turf course at Churchill Downs. The colt's stakes-placed second dam is also responsible for Fate Factor (The Factor), who has done her best work to date over synthetic tracks, with a pair of stakes placings at Turfway Park and a third on the Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs. The further female family includes four-time Peruvian champion Al Qasr (Aptitude), who won the Colonial Downs's Kitten's Joy S. while under the care of Ken McPeek in 2013.

Pappascap is the dam of a yearling colt by Omaha Beach, a colt foal by War Front's Classic-winning son War of Will and was bred to Candy Ride (Arg) this past breeding season.

Wednesday, Saratoga
WITH ANTICIPATION S.-GIII, $175,000, Saratoga, 8-31, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:46.93, gd.
1–BOPPY O, 120, c, 2, by Bolt d'Oro
                1st Dam: Pappascat (GSP, $165,762), by Scat Daddy
                2nd Dam: Redmeansgo, by Red Ransom
                3rd Dam: Majestic Dy, by Dynaformer
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($190,000
Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-John C. Oxley & Breeze Easy, LLC;
B-Rustlewood Farm, Inc. (FL); T-Mark E. Casse; J-Dylan Davis.
$96,250. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $140,000. *1/2 to
Pappacap (Gun Runner), GSW & MGISP, $833,000.
Werk Nick Rating: C.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Battle of Normandy, 122, c, 2, City of Light–Adorable Miss,
by Kitten's Joy. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($500,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG). O-West Point Thoroughbreds &
Woodford Racing, LLC; B-Gage Hill Stables, LLC & W. S. Farish
(KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. $35,000.
3–Andthewinneris, 122, c, 2, Oscar Performance–Run Like the
Boss, by Scat Daddy. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($67,000 RNA
Ylg '21 KEESEP). O/B-Susan Moulton (KY); T-Wayne M.
Catalano. $21,000.
Margins: NK, 1HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 23.10, 2.40, 2.25.
Also Ran: Determinedly, Noble Huntsman, Our Dream Rye'd, El Conejito. Scratched: Bourbon Therapy, Bramble Blaze, Lachaise, Quincy Cafe.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Casse Plays Chess with Spinaway-Bound Wonder Wheel

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Though their names are similar and they have trainer Mark Casse in common, Wonder Gadot (Medaglia d'Oro) and Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) are not related, except, possibly, in ability.

Wonder Gadot, a two-time champion and 2018 Horse of the Year in Canada, is named for the Israeli actress, Gal Gadot, who gained international attention in the 2017 film “Wonder Woman.” Wonder Wheel, the unbeaten filly who will run in the GI Spinaway S. Sunday, is named for the very famous 102-year-old, 150-foot Ferris wheel at Coney Island, N.Y.

Wonder Wheel has spent the summer at Saratoga prepping for the historic Spinaway, the first Grade I of the season in the U.S. for 2-year-olds. She won both her starts at Churchill Downs earlier in the summer. Casse said he never considered entering her in the GIII Schuylerville S. or the GIII Adirondack S., the Saratoga filly stakes that typically are stepping stones to the Spinaway. There will be 60 days between her starts.

“That was by plan. You can't run them all,” Casse said. “We ran her and then she won the stake at Churchill. So, it was by design.”

In her debut June 3 at 5 1/2 furlongs, Wonder Wheel came from off the pace for a 2 1/4-length victory. On July 4 in the Debutante S., she quickly seized the lead and ran away from the others to score by 6 3/4 lengths, covering the six furlongs in 1:10.26.

Casse said the performances by the D. J. Stable filly in Kentucky were not a surprise.

“She showed us a lot before she even ran,” he said. “I thought her first two races have been impressive. And then even since coming back here she's trained tremendous. She reminds me, and you don't have them come around that often, of the Wonder Gadots, the Classic Empires (Pioneerof the Nile), the War of Wills (War Front).”

That is a serious statement from a Hall of Fame trainer, comparing Wonder Wheel to three of his recent stars. Wonder Gadot and Classic Empire were champions and War of Will was the rare winner of Grade I races on dirt and turf: the Preakness S. and the Maker's Mark Mile S.

“Yeah, I know,” Casse said, “and I worry about that a little bit, saying that with only two starts. But that's what she's shown me.”

Wonder Wheel was on a short list of prospects developed by a bloodstock advisor for Casse at the Keeneland September 2021 yearling sale.

“Then I go around and pick and one of the things that intrigued me about her was she reminds me of [MSW & GISP] Make Mischief, and that was by Into Mischief,” Casse said. “They had this similar build and similar look. That was one of the things and I was like, 'Yeah, I like this filly.' So we bought her. Obviously, she is expensive at $275,000, but not for an Into Mischief.”

Make Mischief, a New York-bred, was a seven-time winner, who had five graded stakes placings.

Casse's latest potential star training at the Spa | Sarah Andrew

Wonder Wheel has worked five times at Saratoga. She turned in a bullet five-furlong–best of 34–breeze in :59.40 on Aug. 19 and got a half-mile in :48.87 on Aug. 26.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will be up for the Spinaway, replacing Tyler Gaffalione, who will be riding at Kentucky Downs.

Casse said he has not second-guessed his decision to give Wonder Wheel a long stretch between races.

“I'm going to be nervous,” he said, “because when you think you have a good one, you get nervous.”

Six years ago, Casse used a similar approach with Classic Empire, who broke his maiden May 4, won the GIII Bashford Manor S. July 2 and began his fall campaign in the GI Hopeful S. Sept. 5.

“Of course, it didn't work so well with Classic Empire because he made a right-hand turn coming out in the Hopeful,” Casse said, smiling, “but I purposely gave her some time.”

Classic Empire, the 8-5 favorite, wheeled at the start and dropped Irad Ortiz, Jr. He went on to win the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and was voted the 2-year-old male champion.

“My plan is if all things go well, she goes there, she goes to the [GI] Alcibiades and she goes to the Breeders' Cup,” Casse said. “That would be five starts and that's plenty. I'm a chess player.”

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Lukas to Train for MyRacehorse

Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas is the newest addition to the MyRacehorse cast of trainers, as he will condition a yearling colt by Arrogate out of well-bred stakes-placed runner and producer Smart Shopping (Smart Strike) for the micro-share syndication company. The colt was purchased for $300,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale as hip 79.

“Adding a world-class name such as D. Wayne Lukas to MyRacehorse is an honor,” MyRacehorse CEO Michael Behrens said. “Teaming up to provide our owners with the opportunity to say their horse is trained by the 'Coach', and an Arrogate no less, is very exciting and what we strive to provide as we celebrate racehorse ownership with our growing owner base.”

Lukas also trains Arrogate's 2022 GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Secret Oath.

“D. Wayne Lukas is still the King at the age of 86 as evidenced by his success in this year's Kentucky Oaks with Secret Oath,” said Roderick Wachman, MyRacehorse's Global Head of Bloodstock and Racing. “A supreme master of his trade and one who has mentored some of the best trainers in the business, Wayne's horsemanship skills to this day are to be revered.”

Woodbine’s Field of Dreams

Woodbine is a track of two tales: history and innovation. The home of the historic Queen's Plate–which will be run for the 163rd time Sunday thus making it the longest continuously run race in North America–has been undergoing renovations that on a conceptual level, might border on the fantastical. That is, until it is seen in person. At the forefront of structural renewal, Woodbine, which covers 684-acres of prime real estate in the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke, currently stands against a backdrop of development that would make most other racing operators blush. Looming in the background of the track's famed paddock is the ever-expanding framework of an amphitheater and a hotel, both slated for unveiling in the spring of 2023. A second hotel and a train station are also among other amenities slated for the future. And while the present-day Woodbine continues to expand at an impressive rate, the legacy of the oval and the tradition of the track's Classic race, the Queen's Plate, remain solidly embedded in the psyche of the local horse community.

Looking for his first Queen's Plate victory is trainer Kevin Attard, who will saddle morning-line favorite Moira (Ghostzapper), campaigned by X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables and SF Racing. Third in the initial jewel in Canada's Triple Crown with H C Holiday last year, Attard attempts to saddle the first filly to win the 1 1/4-mile test since Wonder Gadot established the feat in 2018. Attard's best finish in the race was recorded by Alezzandro, finishing second in the 2007 Queen's Plate before taking the second jewel in the Triple Crown, the Prince of Wales S.

“This is my ultimate goal right here,” admitted Attard. “It is an instrumental race in Canadian racing. The history and the hype that leads up to this race. There are a few Canadian Hall of Fame trainers that have had very successful careers and won great races, but the one that has eluded them was the Queen's Plate. I have been down this path with a horse I thought had a good chance to win. It hasn't worked out yet, but I hope Moira is the one that could put the icing on the cake.”

She won the Princess Elizabeth S. on debut and was runner-up in the GIII Mazarine S. at two, earning her a Sovereign Award nomination. A narrow winner in her sophomore debut in the seven-furlong Fury S. June 11, she blew the doors off her competition with an eye-popping 10 3/4-length victory in the nine-panel Woodbine Oaks July 24. In her most recent work, she covered five furlongs in a sharp :59 4/5, the fifth fastest of 46 at the distance Aug. 14.

“She seems like she has blossomed since her Oaks win,” confirmed Attard, son of longtime Woodbine trainer Tino Attard. “She's had two good interim breezes. She's put on some weight and her coat looks great and is vibrant and healthy. I don't think she could be coming into the race in any better form.”

While the Oaks appeared executed to perfection, the high-spirited filly stepped on her hind foot, dislodging one shoe while bending the other. The mishap prompted Attard to make an 11-hour decision and have both back shoes removed for the race. A move that didn't appear to affect the filly.

“She doesn't like to stand still too long,” explained Attard. “She does get a little bit antsy. That's the only real quirk to her. Once she has the tack on, she really hasn't done anything really negative.”

He continued, “The larger crowd is something she will have to handle, but luckily, even with her pre-race antics in the Oaks, she didn't break out or wide. It's not like she lost her race in the paddock, so she was able to keep herself in check. We've done a lot of schooling with her, so we can get her over this. We have a little bit of a different game plan, we're going to tack her in the paddock for [the Queen's Plate], so hopefully she handles that all well. The idea right now is she's going over there with four shoes and we hope she keeps them all on by the time she gets to the starting gate.”

With most of her competitors already having taken their shot in the Queen's Plate, trainer Katerina Vassilieva will attempt to win the Classic in her first attempt. Given the task to land lucrative prize is GIII Marine S. scorer Rondure (Oxbow), owned by Borders Racing Stable. A 10 3/4-length winner in his unveiling at Woodbine in May, the colt finished runner-up behind the re-opposing The Minkster (English Channel) in the June 12 Queenston S.

“He's done nothing wrong this year. He broke his maiden impressively and was just beaten a head in the Queenston S., which solidified in my mind that he is a legitimate horse that can compete at a high stakes level. He impressed me even more in the Marine, so right then I knew I had a legitimate runner for the Queen's Plate.”

“There wasn't too much time between the Queenston and the Marine, so I thought I could give him a little bit of a breather, especially after the big effort that he put in.”

Rafael Hernandez, who was aboard for Rondure's latest win, opted to ride Moira, vacating the saddle for U.S. import Flavien Prat.

“I had it in my mind that if he was to choose the filly, I was going to contact a rider from the U.S. I had Irad Ortiz [Jr.] in mind, because he won the Plate last year and I had Flavien Prat in mind because he won it two years ago [One Bad Boy]. I think Flavien will be a tremendous rider for my horse.”

More Graded Action

Woodbine offers an addition trio of stakes on the Queen's Plate undercard, highlighted by the GII Kind Edward S. and GII Canadian S. In the former, last season's GI Woodbine Mile winner Town Cruise (Town Prize) attempts to record his first victory since taking that race almost a year ago. Also looking to regain the winning thread is GI Maker's Mark Mile Shirl's Speight (Speightstown), who has hit the board once in three starts since, finishing third for Hall of Famer Roger Attfield in the GIII Salvator Mile in June.

Mark Casse, represented by Hall of Dreams (Lemon Drop Kid) and Sir For Sure (Sligo Bay {Ire}) in the day's Classic feature, also saddles Filo Di Arianna (Brz) (Drosselmeyer) and March to the Arch (Arch). The duo finished 1-2 in the GII Connaught Cup July 23. The Hall of Fame trainer also saddles a pair in the GII Canadian S.-French Group 2 scorer Fev Rover (Ire) and Keyflower (Fr) (Kheleyf). Attempting to stand in his way is Graham Motion, who offers up Crystal Cliffs (Fr) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}), winner of Gulfstream's Sand Springs in April and second in the GIII Gallorette S. at Pimlico May 21. Most recently, he came from just off the pace to annex the mile GII Nassau S. over the E.P. Taylor turf course July 2.

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