Mark Casse | Horse Racing Free Tips

Tropical Park Oaks: Tobys Heart Looking For More Against Undefeated Lady Speightspeare

Already a multiple-stakes winner with more than $500,000 in earnings, Terry Hamilton and trainer Brian Lynch's Tobys Heart will be on a quest to add a significant achievement to her resume in Sunday's $100,000 Tropical Park Oaks.

The Tropical Park Oaks, a mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies, will co-headline Sunday's day-after-Christmas program at Gulfstream Park with the $100,000 Tropical Park Derby, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds.

Tobys Heart has won stakes at Saratoga, Belmont Park and Kentucky Downs but has yet to win a stakes around two turns. The daughter of Jack Milton's quest for two-turn success doesn't figure to be an easy one with the likes of undefeated Lady Speightspeare among the eight fillies entered in the Tropical Park Oaks.

“It would be nice seeing her win around two turns. We'll keep our fingers crossed for Sunday,” Lynch said. “This is a good time, because it's the last chance to win against her age group.”

Tobys Heart finished third at Saratoga in the Lake George (G3) and second in the Tepin at Churchill Downs, both at a mile. Back around one turn, the Kentucky-bred filly drew off by 2 ¾ lengths to win the $500,000 Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs Sept. 12.

In her most recent outing, Tobys Heart finished fourth in the 1 1/16-mile Valley View (G3) over a yielding course at Keeneland.

“She was down on the inside and took the worst of it. I thought she ran really well. She got beat a neck for second and the winner loves the soft going and won well,” Lynch said.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, who was aboard at Saratoga, has the call.

Charles Fipke's Lady Speightspeare looms as a short-priced favorite in the Tropical Park Oaks off victories her flawless record in four starts at Woodbine, including victories in the Natalma (G1) at a mile on turf and the Bessarabian at 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta.

Emma-Jayne Wilson, who has been aboard the home-bred daughter of Speightstown in all of her starts, has the return call.

Trainer Mark Casse will be represented by a pair of fillies, Live Oak Plantations' Inthewinnerscircle and SBH Racing Inc.'s Mademoiselle Nova, who finished 1-2, respectively, in the 1 1/16 Cellars Shiraz over Gulfstream's Tapeta course Nov. 5.

Luis Saez has the call on Inthewinnerscircle, also a stakes winner on turf. Edwin Gonzalez has the mount on Mademoiselle Nova, who won back-to-back optional claiming allowance victories on turf at Woodbine before losing by a neck to her stablemate in the Cellars Shiraz.

Fergus Galvin, R. A. Hill Stable, Black Type Thoroughbreds, John Arenson and Alan Lefevre's Breaker of Chains, is set for her third start in the U.S. since being imported from Ireland. The Kentucky-bred daughter of Bernardini broke her maiden in her U.S. debut at Kentucky Downs before finishing sixth in the Valley View (G3) over a yielding Keeneland turf course.

Tyler Gaffalione has the return mount aboard the Jimmy Toner-trained filly.

R. A. Hill Stable and Brereton Jones' Stunning Princess, who captured an optional claiming allowance Dec. 3 at Gulfstream; Dede McGehee's Gladys, a full sister to 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra; Fortune Racing LLC's Bipartisanship, a British-bred filly who broke her maiden at Laurel two starts back; and Burning Daylight Farms Inc.'s Dream About Me, coming off a maiden score at Monmouth and an optional claiming allowance at Delaware Park; round out the field.

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Mark Casse, Kazushi Kimura Earn Titles At Woodbine; Patrick Husbands Contemplates Retirement

It was a fitting result for Woodbine's leading trainer Mark Casse on Sunday, as Sir Winston and Frosted Over went one-two, respectively, in the Grade 3 $155,700 Valedictory Stakes on the final card of the 2021 Thoroughbred season at the Toronto oval. The Woodbine meet also concluded with a record setting handle of $8,530,593.

Jockey Patrick Husbands guided 8-5 choice, Sir Winston, to a game score in the 1 ½-mile Tapeta test, edging stablemate Frosted Over by a hard-fought half-length to take all the spoils in the event for three-year-olds and upward.

The final time was 2:31.51.

Husbands, one of Woodbine's most successful and decorated riders, was emotional after the race, noting that he will contemplate retirement over the winter months.

“I want to say thanks to Mark…time out,” said Husbands, who teamed with Casse to net the most jockey-trainer stakes victories at the meet with 10. “I had a hard week. I texted Mark around 11:30 on Wednesday night and Mark returned my call Thursday morning and I would not answer the phone. I said, 'Mark, I'm done.' And he said, 'You can't do this, Patrick. You can't go out like this. You have to let Woodbine know that you are finished.' In my heart, I want to be here. I wanted to make today, right now, my last ride at Woodbine. Woodbine was great to me. But Mark told me I had the whole winter to think about it. I tip my hat off to Mark. He was there for me from day one. Everyone was there for me through my injuries. So, I will think about it through the winter.”

Whatever his decision, the Barbados-born champion rider, who has won some of Canada's biggest races, including the 2003 Canadian Triple Crown with Wando, will look back fondly on his Valedictory victory.

“From looking at the racing form, there's not really much speed in the race, and drawn so wide, I want to cut the first corner,” said Husbands, who now has a record five Valedictory crowns. “I never had ridden him in my life yet and all the years riding at Woodbine, Mark never gave me instructions. He hired me to do a job and we've been successful all these years. So, I made sure I can get him out of there, cut the first turn and then play it by ear, and he relaxed right off the bat.”

Bred and owned by Tracy Farmer, Sir Winston, a 5-year-old son of Awesome Again, paid $5.30 for the win.

Kazushi Kimura earned his first Woodbine jockey crown – the first Japanese-born rider to achieve the feat – with 138 wins at the meet, while his mounts earned $6,360,203 million.

“It's a special achievement, and it was one of my dreams,” said the 22-year-old Kimura. “Everybody wants to be a leading rider, but it's not easy. We just need great riding skills and good horses, good support from the trainers and owners for the whole season to be able to get the title. This year, I'd say I improved, and I got good support from trainers and owners. I appreciate that help for me to get the riding title.”

Born in Hokkaido, Kimura joined the Woodbine jockey colony as a 19-year-old apprentice in 2018 and made a strong first impression. He finished his first Woodbine campaign sixth in the standings with 89 wins and his mounts totaled more than $2.3 million in earnings. His first victory came aboard 70-1 longshot Tornado Cat, and his first stakes win came aboard Speedy Soul in the Muskoka. The Eclipse Award winner as North America's outstanding apprentice, Kimura also won the Sovereign Award equivalent in both 2018 and 2019.

His Woodbine successes include Gretzky the Great (Grade 1 Summer Stakes) and Lady Grace (Grade 2 Royal North). Another local highlight was his second-place finish aboard Magnetic Charm, owned by Queen Elizabeth II, in the 2019 Canadian Stakes.

This year, Kimura won eight stakes at the Toronto oval, including Corelli in the Grade 3 Singspiel, Our Secret Agent in the Grade 3 Hendrie, Frosted Over in the Grade 3 Ontario Derby and Swinging Mandy in the Victorian Queen.

Mark Casse topped the trainer leaderboard for the 13th time courtesy of 110 wins. Martin Drexler took second spot in the standings with 56 wins, while Kevin Attard was third with 55 victories. Casse led all conditioners in purse earnings with $8,189,186, followed by Attard and Josie Carroll.

Highlights were many for Casse, who recorded 27 Woodbine stakes victories, 19 more than his closest rival.

A lifetime winner of 3,226 races, the dual Hall of Fame horseman has plenty of reasons to be thrilled with his 2021 campaign, Woodbine and beyond.

“For us, not just in Toronto, and all over, it's been a really good year. I'm excited because we have a lot of nice young prospects too with God of Love winning the Grey and Cup and Saucer, Mrs. Barbara winning the Mazarine, Golden Glider – those kinds of horses. The horse I ran on Saturday at Woodbine, Sir for Sure, he's a maiden, but he's a really nice horse, and it will be fun to watch him going long next year.”

When did Casse know it was going to be a prosperous campaign?

“You never know. I'm kind of like the gambler playing poker. I never count my money when I'm sitting at the table.”

Casse has high praise for his team at Woodbine.

“We have wonderful people that have been with us for a long time. They are very dedicated and passionate in what they do, day in and day out. A lot of people might not know, but our entire staff are all Canadians. This was a trying year for everybody because of the late start, but we made sure the horses were ready.”

Casse is hopeful the 2022 Woodbine racing season brings with it a return to normalcy.

“Our season is geared towards Woodbine. Obviously, we run at different places, but over the years, we've built up a strong Canadian group, not just in horses, but owners. They want to see their horses and get out there and enjoy the racing, so hopefully, in 2022, we can all have the type of year everyone is used to.”

Before the start of the new season here, Casse, a 13-time Sovereign Award winner as Canada's outstanding trainer, will continue to speak highly of his attachment to Woodbine.

“Wherever I go, Woodbine and my name seem to go hand-in-hand. And that is something I am very proud of.”

Gary Barber was the leading money-winning owner of the meet for the third straight campaign, followed by Live Oak Plantation and Ivan Dalos.

Live Thoroughbred racing will return to Woodbine next spring, opening day tentatively scheduled for Saturday, April 22, 2022, while Standardbred racing will continue to run four days a week at Woodbine Mohawk Park all-year-round.

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Woodbine Wraps with Casse, Kimura, Barber Titles

With a record closing day handle of $8,530,593, Woodbine's 2021 Thoroughbred meet concluded Sunday with meet titles for trainer Mark Casse, jockey Kazushi Kimura, and owner Gary Barber. Casse secured the leading training title with 110 wins from his 539 starts and earnings of $8,189,186. Martin Drexler trailed in second by wins with 56. It was Casse's 13th time atop the Woodbine leaderboard and his 27 stakes victories at the Toronto oval in 2021 were 19 more than his closest rival. Casse, who is a member of the Hall of Fame in both the U.S. and Canada, has won Canada's Sovereign Award as the country's top trainer 13 times.

In contrast, Kimura was earning his first Woodbine jockey title. The 22-year-old is the first Japanese-born rider to achieve the feat. He notched 138 wins at the meet from 717 starts, including wins in eight black-type events, with $6,360,203 in earnings. The Eclipse Award winner as North America's outstanding apprentice, Kimura also won the Sovereign Award equivalent in both 2018 and 2019.

“It's a special achievement, and it was one of my dreams,” said Kimura. “Everybody wants to be a leading rider, but it's not easy. We just need great riding skills and good horses, good support from the trainers and owners for the whole season to be able to get the title. This year, I'd say I improved, and I got good support from trainers and owners. I appreciate that help for me to get the riding title.”

Barber was the leading money-winning owner at Woodbine for the third straight year although official statistics were not immediately available. Live racing will return next spring to the Toronto oval with opening day tentatively scheduled for the penultimate weekend in April.

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Sir Winston Wins Stretch Battle To Take Valedictory At Woodbine

Sir Winston won the 2019 Belmont Stakes at 1 1/2 miles and Sunday at Woodbine he had no trouble covering that distance again, taking the Grade 3 Valedictory Stakes. The G1 winner battled fellow Mark Casse trainee Frosted Over down the stretch at the Toronto, Ontario racetrack, taking back the lead in the last jumps before the wire.

In a crowded field of 14, Jelgo and Collective Force were the fastest out of the gate before Collective Force took over down the stretch the first time. War Bomber streaked to the lead on the far outside as they approached the first turn, getting out to a three-length advantage around the bend and onto the backstretch. Behind him were Collective Force and Frosted Over, who stalked the moderate pace with fractions of :24.78 for the first quarter, :50.36 for the half mile, and 1:16.23 for six furlongs. As the field approached the far turn, Frosted Over made his move for the lead, Patrick Husbands and Sir Winston following.

Around the far turn, the Casse trainees were on even terms, with Frosted Over on the rail and Sir Winston on his outside. They stayed even as they straightened into the Woodbine stretch, with Frosted Over showing a head in front as the two battled down the straight. Sir Winston was not done, digging in and pulling past the 3-year-old in the last sixteenth of a mile. At the wire, Sir Winston was three-quarters of a length in front of Frosted Over, with Collective Force holding on for third and Burning Man fourth.

The final time for the 1 1/2 miles was 2:31.51.

Sir Winston paid $5.30, $2.90, and $2.80. Frosted Over paid $4.70 and $4.40. Collective Force paid $10.60.

Bred in Kentucky by owner Tracy Farmer, Sir Winston is by Awesome Again out of the Afleet Alex mare La Gran Bailadora, a G3 stakes winner. The 5-year-old horse was a $50,000 RNA consigned by Denali Stud at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. With his win in the G3 Valedictory, Sir Winston has two wins in four starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of six wins in 19 starts.

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