Mark Casse | Horse Racing Free Tips

Olympic Runner Adds Graded Stakes Winner To Resume In King Edward At Woodbine

Olympic Runner has started in his share of graded stakes races, coming close to winning several of them, including his last-out second-place finish in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup at Woodbine Race Course in Toronto, Ontario. Sunday, he finally broke through to graded stakes winner status in his 23rd start with his win in the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes at Woodbine, taking the lead late in the one-mile stakes to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

Town Cruise, breaking from the inside post, found plenty of running room at the break, taking the lead in the first furlong with Gray's Fable and Jolie Olympica a length and a half behind him. Olympic Runner with jockey Rafael Hernandez moved to the rail before the first turn, sitting in fourth behind Town Cruise throughout the first seven furlongs. The leader, a chestnut gelding by Town Prize, held as much as a three-length advantage on the backstretch, entering the far turn looking like he could take the field wire to wire. About that time, Hernandez moved Olympic Runner off the rail, using the open running lane to mount their bid for the lead.

In the stretch, though, the margin between Town Cruise and the field began to shrink as both Olympic Runner and Avie's Flatter closed in on the leader. Olympic Runner was fastest, taking the lead from Town Cruise in the last sixteenth of a mile to seal the victory. Town Cruise held on for second, with a fast closing March to the Arch overtaking Avie's Flatter for third. Gray's Fable, Jolie Olympica, Valid Point, and Alfons Walde rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the mile over the E.P. Taylor turf course at Woodbine was 1:31.73, a new track record. Find this race's chart here.

Olympic Runner paid $16.80, $7.60, and $4.30. Town Cruise paid $5.40 and $3.50. March to the Arch paid $2.80.

Bred in Kentucky by Eutrophia Farm LTD, Olympic Runner is by Gio Ponti out of Nadadora, by Carson City. He is owned by Gary Barber and trained by Mark Casse. The 5-year-old gelding was consigned by Equest Thoroughbreds and sold to Justin Casse for $180,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. With this victory in the G2 King Edward, Olympic Runner has two wins in seven starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 5-7-2 in 23 starts and career earnings of $419,450.

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Casse ‘All Smiles’ After Get Stormy’s Fourstardave Victory, 104 Beyer Speed Figure

Trainer Mark Casse was all smiles on Sunday morning at Saratoga Race Course after securing his first Grade 1 victory as a newly enshrined Hall of Famer when Got Stormy bested males to win the $500,000 Fourstardave for the second time on Saturday.

Owned by Spendthrift Farm and MyRacehorse Stable, Got Stormy set a course record over the inner turf capturing the 2019 Fourstardave in a time of 1:32 flat with Ricardo Santana, Jr. up.

After finishing second in last year's running to pacesetting Halladay, the 6-year-old chestnut daughter of 2010 Fourstardave victor Get Stormy vindicated herself with a sharp 1 ½-length triumph under Tyler Gaffalione.

The victory registered a 104 Beyer Speed Figure, a tenth lifetime triple-digit number for the talented mare, and included a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Mile on November 6 at Del Mar.

Despite last week's Hall of Fame induction, the summer campaign had been a frustrating one for Casse, who was winless at the current Saratoga meet before Got Stormy's Fourstardave coup.

“It's been a rough meet, but my wife [Tina] said it best: 'It's been gloomy in Saratoga until the storm blew through,'” Casse said.

Got Stormy arrived at the Fourstardave off two fifth-place finishes at graded stakes level after making her seasonal bow a winning one in the Grade 3 Honey Fox on February 27 at Gulfstream Park.

Sent off at 12-1 odds, Casse said he nevertheless felt confident in his mare because of her demeanor in the paddock.

“It's her. She just gets happy,” Casse said. “She was walking around after I had saddled her and I told Tyler, 'She's got her game face on today, they better be ready,' I could tell she just wanted to go out there and do it.”

Casse said Got Stormy, a seven-time graded stakes winner with graded scores at six different tracks, will appreciate a return to Del Mar, where she captured the Grade 1 Matriarch in her final start of 2019.

“The good news for us is she's 1-for-1 at Del Mar,” Casse said. “We should have hard and fast [turf] there, and the turns aren't quite as tight as they are here but they're sharp. I want to get one race into her, I just haven't figured out where I want to do that yet.

“She just loves training here so much. Most horses do,” Casse added regarding Got Stormy's affinity for Saratoga. “She enjoys the tight turns. She can run around a turn like most horses can't, so that helps.”

Casse mentioned the possibility of attempting a dual conquest in the $600,000 Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint on September 11 at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky.

“I can go to Kentucky Downs just as a prep, run her at 6 ½ [furlongs] and we don't care about the weather,” Casse said. “If it rains, it's okay. Where the soft ground hurts us is when she's trying to get a mile.”

Previously owned by Gary Barber, Got Stormy was purchased for $2.75 million by Spendthrift Farm at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

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Ned Toffey of Spendthrift Farm said he was delighted to see the superstar mare secure a Grade 1 victory when sporting Spendthrift's orange and purple silks.

“Mark was very confident. He said she was doing so well,” Toffey recalled. “I think clearly, she really likes Saratoga. It was just great to see. This was so gratifying because when Mr. [B. Wayne] Hughes decided to get involved with MyRacehorse, he really believed that this was something that would be successful, but what they need are really good horses.

“She didn't appear to have lost any steps yesterday so that was great to see,” Toffey continued. “She's such a gutsy, hard trying mare. You just love to see that kind do well.”

Toffey said he felt gratified to be able to provide the multiple MyRacehorse partners a prestigious victory at Saratoga.

“To get a Grade 1 and to be able to see a project like this come full circle, work out this way, and have a bunch of enthusiastic MyRacehorse fans to be there and share it with us was a great feeling,” Toffey said.

Casse said that maiden Volcanic, a two-time starting son of Violence owned by Breeze Easy, could race back in the $300,000 Grade 1 Hopeful on September 6. The $230,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase finished third last out in a six-furlong maiden event on July 24 at the Spa.

The Hall of Fame trainer said Live Oak Plantation's graded stakes-winner Souper Sensational, who finished second in the Grade 1 Longines Test here on August 7, could race back in the $250,000 Grade 2 Prioress on September 4 at the Spa.

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Got Stormy Makes History Again With Second Win In Fourstardave

Two years after securing a triumph in the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave in record-setting fashion, MyRacehorse Stable and Spendthrift Farm's Got Stormy bested males again in the 2021 edition, displaying stalking tactics and making a menacing stretch rally to capture the prestigious one mile event for 3-year-olds and up over the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course.

In capturing the Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” qualifier, Got Stormy earned an automatic entry into the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile on November 6 at Del Mar. Four of the last ten editions of the Fourstardave were captured by the subsequent winner of the Breeders' Cup Mile with World Approval [2017], Tourist [2016] and Wise Dan [2012-13] securing the Fourstardave-Breeders' Cup Mile double. Got Stormy finished second to Uni in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Mile.

Got Stormy, a 6-year-old daughter of 2010 Fourstardave victor Get Stormy, arrived at Saturday's engagement off two fifth-place finishes at graded stakes level. But the talented chestnut mare got back to winning form in a familiar spot, becoming the first horse to capture multiple editions of the Fourstardave since 2012-13 Horse of the Year Wise Dan.

Sent off as the third choice in her 2019 Fourstardave coup, Got Stormy returned $27 as the third longest shot in the eight-horse field.

“This was maybe even more exciting because they wrote her off,” Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said. “They did the same to [2015 Champion Turf Female] Tepin, and she came back. I'm really proud. There's been some bumps along the road with her, but she came when it was time.”

Breaking from post 6 under Tyler Gaffalione, Got Stormy tracked in third as graded stakes-winner Blowout, one of three distaffers in the field, flaunted her usual frontrunning tactics through an opening quarter-mile in 23.45 seconds, 2 ½-lengths clear of 19-1 longshot Whisper Hill in second. Through a half-mile in 46.69 over firm going, Got Stormy maintained third position approaching the far turn as Gaffalione weaved the accomplished mare two paths wide and in the clear.

Blowout was still in front in upper stretch but Got Stormy collared the pacesetter nearing the furlong marker and drew away to a 1 ½-length victory in a final time of 1:33.09.

Set Piece was a late-rallying second, a half-length ahead of Grade 1 Jackpocket Jaipur-winner Casa Creed.

Got Stormy secured a third Grade 1 conquest, and seventh overall graded stakes win. In addition to her two non-consecutive Fourstardave victories, she captured the Matriarch at Del Mar in November 2019.

“She was taking me the whole way,” said Gaffalione, a three-time stakes winner this meet. “I was able to tuck in and save ground. She relaxed beautifully down the backside. Going into the turn she started to pick up on her own and she started creeping up. When I put her outside, she unleased a big run and it was all over from there.”

Casse said a second Breeders' Cup Mile will likely be in the works following Saturday's victory.

“It would have to be the Mile,” Casse said. “I have to think [about potential races in between]. It's so difficult with her; there's things she really likes and things she doesn't. I took her to Woodbine two years ago and she got beat there [second in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile]. I have to think it over. I have to talk to the owners, so we'll figure it out.

“It turned out perfect,” Casse continued. “It's what she loves; they'll have some sharp turns at Del Mar [in the Breeders' Cup Mile], so that'll work out just fine. You could see how well she was training. She loves it here. She trains great here.”

Jockey Florent Geroux, aboard runner-up Set Piece, said his horse may not have cared for the surface.

“He did great. I felt the track wasn't playing in our favor,” Geroux said. I was up against it from the beginning since my horse is a deep closer, but he came running at the end. I'm very proud of his effort and he ran a good race. The mare really loved the track and she's great at this time of the season.”

Got Stormy, previously owned by Gary Barber, was purchased by her current ownership group for $2.75 million at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.
Bred in Kentucky by Mt. Joy Stables, Pope McLean, Marc McLean and Pope McLean, Jr., Got Stormy banked $275,000 in victory, enhancing her lifetime bankroll to $2,398,403 through a record of 30-12-5-3.

Completing the order of finish were Blowout, Daddy Is a Legend, Raging Bull, Whisper Not and Field Pass.

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Lightning Strikes Twice in Fourstardave

MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm's Got Stormy (Get Stormy), the only female winner of the GI Fourstardave H. when she won the race two years ago in stakes record time, found her best form Saturday to post a 12-1 upset in this year's running of the “Win and You're In” qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile.

Purchased off a fifth-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint by B. Wayne Hughes's Spendthrift Farm for $2.75 million at last year's Fasig-Tipton November Sale and then offered in microshare pieces via MyRacehorse, the chestnut remained with trainer Mark Casse and scored first out for the new connections in the GIII Honey Fox S. at Gulfstream in February. Her next two outings were not as strong, however–she was fifth in both the GII Distaff Turf Mile S. at Churchill May 1 and GI Jaipur S. on the cutback at Belmont June 5–and was starting to give the impression of one whose best racing days were behind her.

Away well under Tyler Gaffalione, Got Stormy sat comfortably in third as they strung out around the first turn behind fellow female Blowout (GB) (Dansili {GB}). The frontrunner doled out splits of :23.45, :46.69 and 1:10.12 with little change in the running order, and they fanned across the track into the lane with Got Stormy continuing to go well and Blowout's favored stablemate Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) trying to rev up from the back. Got Stormy kicked past Blowout with little resistance in midstretch, and kept on going under energetic encouragement to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths. Set Piece (GB) (Dansili {GB}) rallied from last to complete the exacta, while Jaipur winner Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) was third. Blowout held on for fourth, but Raging Bull never fired and checked in sixth.

“She was taking me the whole way,” Gaffalione said. “I was able to tuck in and save ground. She relaxed beautifully down the backside. Going into the turn she started to pick up on her own and she started creeping up. When I put her outside, she unleashed a big run and it was all over from there.”

He added, “Watching the races, the best ground has been inside on the turf, so I figured that was the best place to be. I was able to get there comfortably and it all worked out.”

Carrying the silks of Gary Barber in her previous Fourstardave win, and when second last year, Got Stormy shortened up to take the GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Sprint last September and added the GIII Buffalo Trace Franklin County S. at Keeneland in October before running back in the Breeders' Cup over the same course and distance.

She was one of 12 purchases totaling $25,030,000 and also including $9.5-million topper and champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) made by Spendthrift at Fasig-Tipton last November.

“This was maybe even more exciting [than winning the 2019 Fourstardave] because they wrote her off,” said Casse, fresh off his Hall of Fame induction last week. “They did the same to [two-time champion] Tepin (Bernstein), and she came back. I'm really proud. There's been some bumps along the road with her, but she came when it was time.”

While Casse had opted to shorten Got Stormy at times for what he thought were better configurations for her, he believes the sharper turns at Saratoga–and at Del Mar later this year–are to her liking.

“It's what she loves; they'll have some sharp turns at Del Mar [in the Breeders' Cup Mile], so that'll work out just fine,” he said. “You could see how well she was training. She loves it here. She trains great here.”

The hard-knocking mare was a fitting winner of the race named after the ageless “Sultan of Saratoga.”

“I think for Fourstardave, who ran so many times here year-after-year, for her to come and do this three years in a row…maybe we can do another one,” Casse said. “We'll have to talk to the higher ups.”

Saturday, Saratoga
FOURSTARDAVE H.-GI, $500,000, Saratoga, 8-14, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:33.09, fm.
1–GOT STORMY, 116, m, 6, by Get Stormy
                1st Dam: Super Phoebe, by Malabar Gold
                2nd Dam: Air France, by French Deputy
                3rd Dam: Twin Propeller, by Known Fact
($23,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP; $45,000 2yo '17 EASMAY; $2,750,000
5yo '20 FTKNOV). O-My Racehorse Stable & Spendthrift Farm
LLC; B-Mt. Joy Stables, Pope, Pope Jr. & Marc McLean (KY);
T-Mark E. Casse; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $275,000. Lifetime Record:
30-12-5-3, $2,398,403. *1/2 to Sir Alfred James (Munnings),
MSP, $210,980; 1/2 to Sky Gold (Successful Appeal), SP,
$151,020. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Set Piece (GB), 119, g, 5, Dansili (GB)–Portodora, by
Kingmambo. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms (East) Ltd
(GB); T-Brad H. Cox. $100,000.
3–Casa Creed, 120, h, 5, Jimmy Creed–Achalaya, by Bellamy
Road. ($15,000 Ylg '17 OBSWIN; $105,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP).
O-LRE Racing LLC & JEH Racing Stable LLC; B-Silver Springs
Stud, LLC (KY); T-William I. Mott. $60,000.
Margins: 1HF, HF, NK. Odds: 12.50, 4.10, 6.20.
Also Ran: Blowout (GB), Daddy Is a Legend, Raging Bull (Fr), Whisper Not (GB), Field Pass. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

MGISW sire Got Stormy boasted four wins himself at the Spa, including in the 2010 Fourstardave. He is the sire of 10 stakes winners, six graded, with Get Stormy his only highest-level victoress. Dam Super Phoebe, a nine-time winner in Puerto Rico, is half to GSWs Smooth Air (Smooth Jazz) and Overdriven (Tale of the Cat). Her Mohaymen 2-year-old colt now named Mohegan was a $315,000 purchase by Tradewinds Farm at last year's Fasig-Tipton October sale. Super Phoebe has a yearling colt by Bolt d'Oro, and was barren to Uncle Mo for 2021 before being bred to Nyquist this past season.

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