Tag: Mark Casse

Tiz the Law Drills Five-Furlong Bullet in Penultimate Derby Breeze

Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz the Law (Constitution), a looming prohibitive favorite in the GI Kentucky Derby, recorded his second-to-last breeze before the Sept. 5 Run for the Roses when covering five furlongs in a bullet :59.47 (1/39) over the Saratoga main track Sunday morning. The Barclay Tagg trainee was scheduled to breeze Saturday at the Spa, but had his work pushed back a day after a sudden downpour drastically changed the track conditions.

Working under cover of darkness at 5:30 a.m. Sunday under exercise rider Heather Smullen, Tiz the Law clicked off his three-furlong split in :35 3/5 before galloping out six panels in 1:12 4/5 and up in 1:26 flat (XBTV video).

“It went fast enough, but not too fast,” Tagg told the NYRA notes team. “It was a little quicker than usual, but it wasn’t too quick for him. He’s a pretty fast horse. I told Heather I wanted a good work in him. I didn’t want to set any records out there. I wanted her to keep a good snug hold on him. I wanted a good work.”

The breeze was Tiz the Law’s first since romping with a career-best 109 Beyer in the GI Runhappy Travers S. Aug. 8. He is scheduled to breeze once more next weekend before shipping to Churchill Downs.

“This is an important workout. In one way, I don’t have any way to make up for it,” Tagg said. “It’s the first thing he has done in the last two or three weeks. That’s why I needed a good work today. If he goes a little too slow going on top of the race, I wouldn’t want that, but I don’t want it too fast either. It’s going to have to be almost perfect. If it’s just like today, that would be fine. I can only work him two times before this race. To me, this work was more important.”

Smullen added that the darkness affected Tiz the Law’s focus in the early part of the work before the colt buckled down for the stretch run.

“It was a little dark and he wasn’t quite as focused going down the backside,” she said. “He was playing around. At the three-eighths pole, I took my stick out. He stayed nice and straight. I never had to ask him. At the eighth pole, he saw a horse. I didn’t have to do anything. He finished up his work. Galloping out, he just kept going. He’s good at what he does.”

Elsewhere on the Derby contender worktab Sunday, John C. Oxley’s Enforceable (Tapit) drilled six furlongs in 1:12.20 (1/2) Sunday morning at Churchill. Last seen running fourth in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S., the gray worked in the fog under Adam Beschizza in company with stablemate Ghost Fighter (Tapit) and got his final five-eighths in :59.20.

“He’s doing extremely well,” said trainer Mark Casse. “This was his last big breeze. They caught him in 12 and 1, but he probably went a little faster because we broke him off at the five and a half and we worked him a sixteenth past the wire, but it was so foggy. The time isn’t as important as how well he did it. Adam said he couldn’t get him pulled up until the three-eighths pole. He’s doing very well and is holding his weight good. I told Mr. Oxley that I don’t know where he fits with this group, but we couldn’t ask him to be any better than he is right now.”

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Nyquist Gets First Stakes Score at Woodbine

Gretzky the Great earned the first black-type win for his first-crop sire (by Uncle Mo) as he eventually wore down frontrunner Into the Sunrise to prevail in Woodbine’s Soaring Free S. Sunday afternoon. Second to favored Ready to Repeat going five panels over the local lawn July 12, the bay broke through by daylight over a rained-off six furlongs Aug. 2. Away well from the outside five hole, Gretzky the Great skated along out in the clear in second as Into the Sunrise enjoyed a clear lead and Ready to Repeat traveled well held down on the fence in third. The pacesetter posted a :45.51 half and looked to have the race to himself at the top of the stretch, but Gretzky the Great and Kazushi Kimura kept chipping away to seize the lead in the waning moments.

“I was so satisfied the last time and today that was the best performance of his life,” said Kimura.

David Anderson paid $310,000 for the winner’s dam Pearl Turn while she was in foal to Pioneerof the Nile at KEENOV ’16. Pearl Turn produced a Quality Road colt in 2019 and was bred to Uncle Mo for 2021. The Uncle Mo–Bernardini cross is a potent one, having produced Grade I winner Mo Town and Grade II winners Mopotism and Modernist.

SOARING FREE S., C$112,600, Woodbine, 8-23, 2yo, 6 1/2fT, 1:13.83, fm.
1–GRETZKY THE GREAT, 120, c, 2, by Nyquist
                1st Dam: Pearl Turn (MSP, $182,560), by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Turn Me Loose, by Kris S.
                3rd Dam: Adoradancer, by Danzig Connection
($295,000 RNA Ylg ’19 FTKOCT). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN.
O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Gary Barber; B-Anderson
Farms Ont. Inc. (ON); T-Mark E. Casse; J-Kazushi Kimura.
C$72,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $115,873. *First black-
type winner for freshman sire (by Uncle Mo).
2–Into the Sunrise, 120, c, 2, Into Mischief–Bellini Sunrise, by
Machiavellian. ($325,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-M Racing Group,
LLC; B-Edward A. Seltzer & Beverly Anderson (KY); T-Wesley A.
Ward. C$20,000.
3–Ready to Repeat, 122, g, 2, More Than Ready–Christine
Daae, by Giant’s Causeway. ($60,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-Gail
Cox, John Menary, Michael James Ambler & Windways Farm;
B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Gail Cox.
C$11,000.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, 4 1/4. Odds: 2.35, 3.25, 1.00.
Also Ran: Gospel Way, Exceed. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

 

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A Foggy Morning In Derby Town: Enforceable Breezes Six Furlongs

Under foggy conditions at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., John Oxley's $200,000 Lecomte Stakes (Grade 3) winner Enforceable continued his preparation for the $3-million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) with a six-furlong move on Sunday in 1:12.20 under jockey Adam Beschizza.

The fog moved into the Louisville area just past midnight and the conditions did not improve at the start of training on Sunday at 5:15 a.m. Enforceable, outside of stablemate Ghost Fighter (six furlongs, 1:13.80), worked from the five-furlong pole to the wire in :59.20 and the duo continued their work around the turn to the seven-eighths pole.

“It was a really good work from what I could see,” trainer Mark Casse said. “From the videos I've seen over the last couple of weeks I've been really excited how he's doing at Churchill. We're hoping that it is a fast early pace in the Derby because we know with his running style he'll be making a run from off the pace.”

Sunday's 7:30-7:45 a.m. training window for Kentucky Derby and Oaks only saw two participants: George Hall and SportBLXThoroughbreds' $1 million Travers Stakes (G1) third-place finisher Max Player and Juddmonte Farms' homebred Bonny South. Derby contender Max Player, ridden by Juan Vargas, galloped about 1 ½ miles while Oaks contender Bonny South, ridden by Gustavo Abrego, galloped about the same distance. Max Player is scheduled to breeze on Monday.

Other Kentucky Derby contenders on the track Sunday included Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister's $200,000 Ellis Park Derby runner-up Attachment Rate, who worked a half-mile in :48.60 at 9 a.m. under exercise rider Faustino Herrarte. Attachment Rate is also nominated to the $500,000 Pat Day Mile presented by LG&E and KU (G2) on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

Lloyd Madison Farm's $300,000 Indiana Derby (G3) runner-up Major Fed returned to the track early Sunday morning following a scheduled walk day Saturday with a one-mile jog under exercise rider Margarito Fierro. Another Derby contender that returned to the track Sunday following a scheduled walk day was West Point Thoroughbreds and Pearl Racing's $600,000 Arkansas Derby (G1) third-place finisher Winning Impression, who jogged one-mile with exercise rider Emerson Chavez in the saddle.

Following his speedy five-furlong move in :58.20 on Saturday, Victoria Ranch's King Guillermo had a scheduled walk day along with fellow Derby contender Necker Island.

Bruce Lundsford's recent Ellis Park Derby hero Art Collector is scheduled to arrive back to trainer Tommy Drury's Churchill Downs base in the upcoming days and will have one local work prior to the Kentucky Derby.

The possible field, in order of preference, for the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby (with jockey): Tiz the Law (Manny Franco); Authentic (John Velazquez); Art Collector (Brian Hernandez Jr.); Honor A.P. (Mike Smith); Ny Traffic (Paco Lopez); King Guillermo (Samy Camacho); Thousand Words (Florent Geroux); Dr Post (TBA); Max Player (Ricardo Santana Jr.); Caracaro (Javier Castellano); Enforceable (Adam Beschizza); Rushie (TBA); Major Fed (James Graham); Storm the Court (Julien Leparoux); Attachment Rate (Joe Talamo); Sole Volante (Luca Panici); Finnick the Fierce (Martin Garcia); Winning Impression (Joe Rocco Jr.); Necker Island (Miguel Mena); and Shirl's Speight (Corey Lanerie).

Several Kentucky Derby contenders have yet to converge on Churchill Downs but are scheduled to arrive in the upcoming week. The following is the latest arrival information, according to senior director of the stable area Steve Hargrave:

  • Monday or Tuesday via van from Skylight Training Center to Churchill Downs: Art Collector (trainer Tommy Drury)
  • Tuesday via flight from San Diego to Louisville: Rushie (Michael McCarthy)
  • Aug. 30 via flight from New York to Louisville: Caracaro (Gustavo Delgado) and Ny Traffic (Saffie Joseph)
  • Aug. 30 via van from Florida to Louisville: Sole Volante (Patrick Biancone)
  • Aug. 31 via flight from San Diego to Louisville: Authentic (Bob Baffert), Honor A. P. (John Shirreffs), Storm the Court (Peter Eurton); and Thousand Words (Baffert)
  • Aug. 31 via flight from New York: Dr Post (Todd Pletcher) and Tiz the Law (Barclay Tagg)

Details on the arrivals of Finnick the Fierce (Rey Hernandez) and Shirl's Speight (Roger Attfield) have not been finalized. On the Longines Kentucky Oaks front, $600,000 Alabama (GI) winner Swiss Skydiver is expected to arrive at Churchill Downs on Tuesday via plane from New York. Swiss Skydiver's main rival in the Oaks, multiple Grade I winner Gamine, is scheduled to arrive with the other Baffert trainees on Sunday, Aug. 31.

KENTUCKY DERBY, OAKS WORKOUTS TO BE STREAMED LIVE MONDAY –Churchill Downs Racetrack will provide live online streaming of Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks contenders' workouts when the exclusive 7:30-7:45 a.m. (all times Eastern) training window starting on Monday.

The live stream presented by TwinSpires.com will be available at multiple sources including on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/kentuckyderby; on Twitter via @KentuckyDerby and www.twitter.com/kentuckyderby; on YouTube atwww.youtube.com/kentuckyderby; and www.kentuckyderby.com/workouts

The live video will include graphics to identify each horse and commentary from an array of industry experts including: Churchill Downs Host and Racing Analyst Joe Kristufek along with TwinSpires.com Racing Experts Scott Shapiro, Ed DeRosa, Brandon Staubleand Chantal Sutherland.

A special 15-minute session from 7:30-7:45 a.m. is exclusive to Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks participants and any workmates. The specially-made Derby and Oaks saddle towels must be worn to gain access to the racetrack during that window.

 

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Uni and Got Stormy Meet Again in Fourstardave

Champion Uni (More Than Ready) and MGISW Got Stormy (Get Stormy) continue their rivalry Saturday as they look to continue dominating their male counterparts in Saratoga’s GI Fourstardave H.

The two chestnuts met for the first time in last year’s renewal of this event, in which Got Stormy was a 2 1/2-length victress over the re-opposing Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) with Uni in third. After that Got Stormy went to the GI Woodbine Mile, hoping to follow in the famous hoofprints of fellow Mark Casse trainee Tepin (Bernstein), but came up a half-length short. Meanwhile, Uni went to Keeneland, where she scored a decisive victory in the GI First Lady S. in October.

The pair met again at Santa Anita in the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile Nov. 2 and this time Uni got the better of her rival, storming home to a 1 1/2-length triumph over Got Stormy with stablemate Without Parole (Frankel {GB}) in third. Clinching the Eclipse Award for top turf female with that win, Uni made her first start of the season at Belmont June 27, completing the trifecta behind her talented younger stablemate Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}).

“She missed some time with a splint issue, and we stopped breezing for five or six weeks,” said Bradley Weisbord of BSW/Crow Bloodstock, who manages Uni on behalf of her owners. “The ground might have been a little soften the Just a Game and Joel didn’t think she got through it great, but she was short, and she really needed the race. She just had her best breeze of the year last week and we weren’t completely sure about this race. We were 50-50 between the Fourstardave and the [GII] Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill, but the breeze is what gave Chad the confidence to run her, so she’s sitting on go.”

Got Stormy, on the other hand has made five starts since the Breeders’ Cup, closing 2019 with a win in the GI Matriarch S. Dec. 1. Fourth in the GIII Endeavour S. at Tampa Feb. 8, her best effort so far this season was a close second in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile Mar. 7. The Gary Barber colorbearer checked in fourth in her last two outings at Belmont in the June 3 GIII Beaugay S. and the July 4 GIII Poker S.

“She’s training well and she’s back to Saratoga, which is where she did her best running last year, so we’re hoping for the best,” Casse said. “We know she likes that course, we know that she likes firm turf. She’s got to come with her A game. She’s the same horse, she looks great and trains great. She’s just been a little bit unlucky. She ran over some good turf courses and she wants it to be really firm.”

Raging Bull kicked off this term with a win in the GI Shoemaker Mile S. at Santa Anita May 25 and was a close third behind Classic winner War of Will (War Front) in Keeneland’s rescheduled GI Maker’s Mark Mile July 10.

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