Tag: Mark Casse

Jockey Gaffalione, Entire Casse Team Has Been High On Soup And Sandwich Since The Beginning

Though he'll be riding Live Oak Plantation's Soup and Sandwich for the first time in the Kentucky Derby on May 1, jockey Tyler Gaffalione has been following the 3-year-old's races since the very beginning.

“I've been following this horse since his first race,” Gaffalione said in an interview with Jennie Rees for the Kentucky HBPA. “He just, his stride looks effortless. He covers a lot of ground, he was still green that day, he swapped leads a couple times, but he kind of reminded me of a Gun Runner early in his 3-year-old year. He had a lot of raw talent but hadn't really figured it out yet.”

The son of Into Mischief won on debut Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park, dominating by 7 1/4 lengths for trainer Mark Casse.

“I texted Mark after the race that day, and said, 'If it ever comes up, I'd love the chance to ride this horse,'” said Gaffalione. “We weren't able to hook up until now, but I mean, this is the one you want! Everything's just kind of falling into place.”

In his second career start, on Feb. 24 at Tampa Bay Downs, Soup and Sandwich bested a three-horse field in his first start around two turns. From there, Casse was confident enough to send the colt into the Grade 1 Florida Derby, where he ran a big second behind Known Agenda despite not switching leads in the stretch.

“I've got to give a lot of credit to Nick Tomlinson at Palm Meadows,” said Casse's assistant, David Carroll. “Nick loved this horse before he ever ran, even though he said he was very immature. He showed that in his first race and even his second race, so he's learning on the job, so to speak… You have to think that having run just three races, there's a lot more upside to him. His race in the Florida Derby was very, very good, but he didn't switch leads, showed true greenness, and had every chance to give it up, but he didn't.”

Gaffalione got a chance to ride Soup and Sandwich in the morning for the first time on Saturday, breezing five furlongs at Churchill in :59 4/5.

“I loved every bit of it,” the jockey said. “He's got a beautiful stride, he just covers a lot of ground and just keeps finding more.

“There's just an aura about him. (Nice horses) have a different, I guess you would say 'class,' about them. They know they're a nice horse and they have a lot of confidence in themselves, and you can really feel that.”

Out of the winning Tapit mare Souper Scoop, Soup and Sandwich is a second-generation homebred for Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Stud. His name is a play on her heritage, since her grandfather is the Campbell Soup founder John T. Dorrance and she serves as a board trustee of Campbell Soup Company.

Soup and Sandwich is one of two likely Kentucky Derby starters for Mark Casse in 2021. The second is Helium, undefeated winner of the G2 Tampa Bay Derby, who will be partnered by Julien Leparoux.

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Busy Saturday Beneath the Twin Spires

With just two weeks remaining to the running of the GI Kentucky Derby, the Saturday worktab at Churchill Downs was dotted with the names of top sophomores headed towards the first jewel of racing's Triple Crown.

Godolphin's reigning Eclipse Award-winning juvenile colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit) took to the Churchill main track at 5:15 a.m. with big-race rider Luis Saez in from Keeneland to put the colt through his paces. The homebred went five furlongs in :59.60 after breaking off about a length behind 4-year-old stablemate Spa City (Street Sense) and was timed in fractions of :12.80, :24.60 and :47.40 before galloping out three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.20 and seven furlongs in 1:28.60. Essential Quality never passed his workmate around the turn and into the backstretch.

It was the first serious piece of work for Essential Quality since his tough defeat of Highly Motivated (Into Mischief) in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 3. Trainer Brad Cox was duly pleased with what he saw Saturday morning.

“I'm not taking a deep breath yet, but we're very pleased with where we are at today,” the conditioner said. “He really had to work for that win in the Blue Grass and we were very pleased how well he ended up bouncing out of it.”


Highly Motivated, whose official status for the Derby remains 'possible,' is scheduled to breeze Sunday morning at Keeneland for trainer Chad Brown and is expected on the Churchill backside Monday.

Following the champ's workout, Cox sent out GII Risen Star S. hero and fellow 'Rising Star' Mandaloun (Into Mischief) to breeze six furlongs in a crisp 1:11.40. The Juddmonte homebred tugged hard against jockey Florent Geroux and was difficult to settle through early sectional times of :12.40, :24.20 and :35.60. He was noticeably more relaxed once given his head at the quarter pole and worked strongly through the line before clocking seven furlongs in 1:25.20 and a mile in 1:41.60.

Mandaloun exits a disappointing sixth behind Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) and Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) in the GII Louisiana Derby Mar. 20, but Cox is more and more inclined to draw a line through the effort.

“[Mandaloun] worked great,” he said. “We were all puzzled after the Louisiana Derby, but he's been doing great since that race–maybe that was just a head-scratcher. He's a really good-looking son of Into Mischief, and we know he's better than what we saw in his last start.”

Live Oak Plantation's Soup and Sandwich (Into Mischief), who earned his way into the Run for the Roses via his runner-up effort to Known Agenda (Curlin) in the GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Mar. 27, went five-eighths of a mile in :59.80 Saturday morning. With Tyler Gaffalione in the saddle, the homebred skipped along in :12.40, :24.20 and :35.20, then readily drew clear of his company Epic Dreamer (Orb) and was out six furlongs in a strong 1:12.40 and seven panels in 1:25.20.

“This horse is just starting to figure things around the racetrack,” trainer Mark Casse's assistant David Carroll said. “Tyler was in cruise control around there and that gallop out was great.”

Also Saturday morning, 'TDN Rising Star' Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map) looked sharp going five furlongs in a bullet :59 (:12.40, :24, :35.40, :47, out 1:12.40) for trainer Ken McPeek; and GIII Fantasy S. runner-up Ava's Grace (Laoban) went a half-mile in :48.60 for Robertino Diodoro for the Apr. 30 GI Kentucky Oaks.

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Essential Quality Among Derby Candidates Breezing At Churchill Downs; Concert Tour Taking Bypass To Preakness

On an action-packed Saturday morning beneath the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., Godolphin's undefeated champion colt Essential Quality continued his march to the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade 1) with a swift five-furlong move in :59.60 early Saturday morning. Fellow Derby contenders Mandaloun (six furlongs, 1:11.40) and Soup and Sandwich (five furlongs, :59.80) also worked toward their start in the “Run for the Roses.”

Essential Quality, the recent winner of the $800,000 Blue Grass (G2) at Keeneland, worked at 5:15 a.m. (all times Eastern) with jockey Luis Saez aboard through splits of :12.80, :24.60 and :47.40. The gray Tapit colt began his work one length behind two-time winning stablemate Spa City and finished even at the wire. Spa City's final five-furlong time was :59.80, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols. Essential Quality galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.20 and completed seven furlongs in 1:28.60.

“I'm not taking a deep breath yet but we're very pleased with where we are at today two weeks from the Derby,” trainer Brad Cox said. “He really had to work for that win in the Blue Grass and we were very pleased how well he ended up bouncing out of it.”

Mandaloun working under Florent Geroux at Churchill Downs

Following Essential Quality's move, Juddmonte Farm's Mandaloun worked with jockey Florent Geroux aboard in company with maiden winner Colonel Bowman. The duo began their six-furlong move from the five-eighths pole through splits of :12.40, :24.20, :35.60 and :58.80. Mandaloun continued to extend his stride in front of Colonel Bowman through a seven-furlong gallop out in 1:25.20 and completed one-mile in 1:41.60. Colonel Bowman's final six-furlong time was 1:11.80.

“(Mandaloun) worked great,” Cox said. “We were all puzzled after the Louisiana Derby (G2) but he's been doing great since that race maybe that was just a head scratcher. He's a really good-looking son of Into Mischief and we know he's better than what we saw in his last start.”

At 7:30 a.m., Live Oak Plantation's homebred Soup and Sandwich cruised five furlongs with jockey Tyler Gaffalione on board. The once-beaten son of Into Mischief worked in company with four-time winner Epic Dreamer through opening fractions of :12.40, :24.20 and :35.20. Soup and Sandwich began drawing clear of his workmate at the wire and galloped out strongly in front with a six-furlong time of 1:12.40 and completed seven furlongs in 1:25.20.

“This horse is just starting to figure things around the racetrack,” trainer Mark Casse's assistant David Carroll said. “Tyler was in cruise control around there and that gallop out was great.”

Soup and Sandwich working under the Twin Spires

Saturday started the 7:30-7:45 a.m. training period for Derby and Longines Kentucky Oaks contenders. During that time window, Phoenix Thoroughbred's $200,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) winner Crazy Beautiful worked a five-furlong bullet move in :59 with opening fractions of :12.40, :24, :35.40 and :47. She completed her work with a six-furlong gallop out in 1:12.40.

Fellow Oaks contender Ava's Grace, the runner-up in the $600,000 Fantasy (G3) behind Pauline's Pearl, worked a half-mile in :48.60 at 5:15 a.m. with jockey Adam Beschizza up. Owned by Cypress Creek Equine and trained by Robertino Diodoro, Ava's Grace has yet to finish off the board four starts with one win, one second and two third-place finishes.

DERBY NEWS AND NOTES – Six-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert reported via text Saturday morning that Gary and Mary West's Concert Tour, third while beaten 2 ½ lengths as the favorite in the April 10 Arkansas Derby (G1), would bypass the May 1 Kentucky Derby. Text: “Concert out. Wait for Preakness.” … Three horses remain listed as “possible” starters in the Derby: Caddo River for trainer Brad Cox and either Highly Motivated or Crowded Trade for trainer Chad Brown. If Brown only runs one as expected that would put American Pharoah (G1) winner and Arkansas Derby fourth Get Her Number into the field and Lexington Stakes (G3) winner King Fury at No. 21 awaiting the Caddo River decision. … Cox reported that Arkansas Derby (G1) runner-up Caddo River is continuing to train towards a start in the Kentucky Derby but would talk the race over with owner John Ed Anthony and make the decision in the next week. … Klaravich Stable's Blue Grass runner-up Highly Motivated galloped Saturday at Keeneland and is scheduled to work on Sunday. The colt is tentatively scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Monday. … M Racing Group's Like the King worked six furlongs in 1:12.80 at Keeneland for trainer Wesley Ward. The Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) winner is scheduled to arrive Derby Week to Churchill Downs.

SHAPING UP: THE KENTUCKY DERBY – Likely starters in the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby for 3-year-olds at 1 1/4 miles on Saturday, May 1, in order of preference (with possible jockey and trainer): Essential Quality (Luis Saez, Brad Cox); Hot Rod Charlie (Flavien Prat, Doug O'Neill); Super Stock (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen); Like the King (Drayden Van Dyke, Wesley Ward); Known Agenda (Irad Ortiz, Todd Pletcher); Rock Your World (Umberto Rispoli, John Sadler); Bourbonic (Kendrick Carmouche, Todd Pletcher); Medina Spirit (John Velazquez, Bob Baffert); Midnight Bourbon (Mike Smith, Steve Asmussen); Mandaloun (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox); Helium (Julien Leparoux, Mark Casse); Soup and Sandwich (Tyler Gaffalione, Mark Casse); Dynamic One (Jose Ortiz, Todd Pletcher); Sainthood (TBA, Todd Pletcher); Hidden Stash (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver); Dream Shake (TBA, Peter Eurton); and O Besos (Marcelino Pedroza, Greg Foley).

Possible starters within the Top 20 on the preference list: Caddo River (TBA, Brad Cox); Highly Motivated (Javier Castellano, Chad Brown); and Crowded Trade (TBA, Chad Brown).

Next up in order of preference: Get Her Number (TBA, Peter Miller); King Fury (Brian Hernandez Jr., Ken McPeek); Hockey Dad (TBA, Doug O'Neill); Keepmeinmind (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro).

Out of race: Rebel's Romance (IRE) (June 5 Belmont Stakes); Greatest Honour (rest); Concert Tour (May 15 Preakness); Life Is Good (ankle chip); Weyburn (May 8 Peter Pan); Panadol; Proxy; Rombauer (May 15 Preakness); Drain the Clock (shorter distances); New Treasure (IRE); Hozier; Spielberg (rest); and Jackie's Warrior (May 1 Pat Day Mile).

SHAPING UP: THE KENTUCKY OAKS – Likely starters in the 147th running of the Kentucky Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on Friday, April 30, in order of preference (with possible jockey and trainer): Search Results (Irad Ortiz Jr., Chad Brown); Travel Column (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox); Crazy Beautiful (Jose Ortiz, Kenny McPeek); Pauline's Pearl (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen); Malathaat (Joel Rosario, Todd Pletcher); Soothsay (Flavien Prat, Richard Mandella); Clairiere (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen); Will's Secret (Jon Court, Dallas Stewart); Millefeuille (TBA, Bill Mott); Moraz (Umberto Rispoli, Michael McCarthy); Ava's Grace (TBA, Robertino Diodoro); Pass the Champagne (Javier Castellano, George Weaver); and Maracuja (Kendrick Carmouche, Rob Atras).

Possible starters within the Top 14 on the preference list: Beautiful Gift (John Velazquez, Bob Baffert).

Next up in order of preference: The Grass Is Blue (TBA, Chad Brown); Competitive Speed (TBA, Javier Gonzalez); Coach (Luis Saez, Brad Cox); Souper Sensational (TBA, Mark Casse); Moon Swag (TBA, Brendan Walsh); Army Wife (TBA, Mike Maker); and Spritz (Chris Landeros, Rodolphe Brissett).

Out of race: Wholebodemeister; Mnasek; Adventuring; Kalypso; Vequist; Miss Brazil; and Nayefah.

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Pletcher Works Derby Quartet at Churchill

On a busy Friday morning at Churchill Downs, GI Kentucky Derby contenders Bourbonic (Bernardini) (five furlongs, 1:01.60), Dynamic One (Union Rags) (five furlongs, 1:01), Helium (Ironicus) (five furlongs, 1:01.80), Known Agenda (Curlin) (five furlongs, 1:00.40) and Sainthood (Mshawish) (five furlongs, 1:00.40) all recorded published workouts in preparation for the 147th running of the “Run for the Roses” Saturday, May 1.

All five horses worked at 7:30 a.m. and D J Stable's unbeaten GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby winner Helium was the first of the quintet to work.

“The most important thing about the work is [jockey] Julien [Leparoux] was happy,” said trainer Mark Casse.

Trainer Todd Pletcher arrived two weeks early in Kentucky and was on-site to watch his Derby contenders work Friday morning. Pletcher's first duo of St. Elias Stable's GI Curlin Florida Derby winner Known Agenda and WinStar Farm and CHC Inc's GII Jeff Ruby Steaks runner-up Sainthood worked through fractions of :12.60, :24.40 and :36.40. They galloped out together through six furlongs in 1:13.40.

“Because of the spacing of their last two races, I wanted a more serious work out of them,” Pletcher said. “I thought both horses got over the surface well and that's what was most important about getting them up here early to work over it. All four of these horses have probably been workmates at one point and I paired these two together because of that spacing of their last race.”

The next Pletcher duo to work was Calumet Farm's Bourbonic and Repole Stable, Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable's Dynamic One. The one-two finishers of the GII Wood Memorial S. began their work together through an opening quarter-mile fraction of :24.40 and half-mile time of :48.60. Dynamic One finished in front of Bourbonic at the wire and continued to gallop out ahead through a six-furlong time of 1:13.20. Bourbonic completed a six-furlong gallop out in 1:14.60.

“I thought it would be good to work both of these horses together after coming out of the same race,” Pletcher said. “I'd say we were definitely surprised at winning the Wood. [Bourbonic] has always trained a little bit light but we always thought that the further the distance, the better it would be for him. He likes to drop back and make one run.”

Medina Spirit Works at Santa Anita…

Medina Spirit (Protonico), second in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby Apr. 5, worked five furlongs in 1:00 (4/43) at Santa Anita Friday.

“He worked five eighths, galloped out strong and looked good,” trainer Bob Baffert said.

Meanwhile, a decision on 'TDN Rising Star' Concert Tour (Street Sense)'s participation in the Kentucky Derby remained on hold. The Gary and Mary West colorbearer, already at Baffert's Churchill base, was a disappointing third as the 3-10 favorite in last Saturday's Arkansas Derby.

“Nothing yet,” said Baffert. “I'll be talking to Gary, but we wanted to give the horse a week and see what's happening. “He looks good but there's no decision yet.”

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