Mark Casse | Horse Racing Free Tips

Saturday’s Marine, Selene Stakes Serve As Preps For Woodbine’s Queen’s Plate, Oaks

A pair of Grade 3 events, the $125,000 Marine Stakes and $125,000 Selene Stakes, share the spotlight this Saturday at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario.

A key prep on the road to this year's Queen's Plate (September 12, at Woodbine), the 1 1/16-mile main track Marine, for 3-year-olds, has attracted some noteworthy Canadian-breds hoping for a spot in the Plate starting gate.

Queen's Plate eligibles Dotted Line (18-1 in the Queen's Plate Winterbook), Glorious Tribute (40-1), and Perfect Revenge (40-1) are set to contest to the Marine.

The 65th running of the Marine will be complemented by the 67th edition of the Selene, a 1 1/16-mile race over the Tapeta for 3-year-old fillies, an important fixture ahead of the Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser, on August 15.

Merveilleux (25-1 in the Queen's Plate Winterbook) and Owlette (30-1) are among the Selene notables.

John Oxley's homebred Lucky Curlin chases his second straight win, this time in the Marine, after a sharp score on June 14 at Woodbine.

The Mark Casse trainee, in his ninth career start and first test on the Toronto oval Tapeta, rallied from fifth at the stretch call of the seven-furlong race to win by a length under Kazushi Kimura.

It was the second win for Kentucky-bred chestnut son of Curlin, who broke his maiden last December at Fair Grounds.

The well-traveled colt, who has raced at Churchill Downs, Saratoga, Keeneland, and Fair Grounds, appears to feel right at home on the Woodbine Tapeta.

Casse hopes the trend continues.

“He's a horse that's disappointed me, to be honest. We were always thinking, 'If he ever gets his act together…' He was a horse early on that we thought was as good as Enforceable. And of course, Enforceable is going to the Kentucky Derby.

“His last race, from a Beyer standpoint, was very good. I wasn't surprised, but it was pleasant. He's been extremely frustrating for us because we've had high hopes for him. There are horses whose abilities are limited. He hasn't been that way. So, we'll see how he handles two turns. I'm still not positive that he isn't a come-from-behind sprinter. But we're going to give it a try.”

Casse's other Marine starter is Untitled, a Florida-bred son of Khozan, owned by Gary Barber and Michael Sebastian.

The bay colt is 2-3-0 in seven starts.

In his first Woodbine appearance, on June 13, Untitled was second to Newstome in the Woodstock Stakes.

“He's kind of a mystery horse,” offered Casse, who won the 2017 Marine with Souper Tapit. “He won very impressively first time out and he's run some good races. I think watching him run… we didn't have the luxury of getting a breeze over the track before his last start. He got up there and we ran him. I didn't think he cared for it that much. In fact, I was thinking about running him on the grass, but there really wasn't a grass race for him. He trained so well afterwards on the synthetic, so we thought we'd give him a try.”

Other Marine contenders include trainer Barb Minshall's improving Glorious Tribute.

The Ontario-bred son of Congrats has one win and a pair of thirds from seven starts.

“His last race as a two-year-old [a maiden-breaking win at one mile and 70 yards on the Woodbine main track], he got a good trip and we got to stretch him out,” said Minshall. “I thought he ran really well. I took him down south all winter so I knew he was good and fit. I ran him once, on the turf, but the race was just a little too tough at that given time for him. But, I've always liked him.”

Minshall, Canada's champion trainer in 1996, remains a big fan of the dark bay.

“I wanted to make sure he was good and fit because I really had a good feeling that he would get a mile and a quarter [Queen's Plate distance]. He's got a nice stride and a good mind. He's a very laid-back horse. I'm pretty happy where he is right now. He's a big, sound horse, so I figured let's get him in, see how he is, get another race, and hopefully from that step go on to the Plate Trial [August 15] and hopefully we end at the Queen's Plate, and we've got a bit of a shot.”

Sam-Son Farm has the most Marine wins (six) for owners, while Sandy Hawley holds the riding record with five Marine crowns. The most recent horse to notch the Marine-Plate double was Shaman Ghost, who achieved the feat in 2015. Last year's winner, Global Access, went on to earn year-end divisional honours at the Sovereign Awards.

Ten Broeck Farm's Owlette, a bay daughter of Frac Daddy, goes after her fourth Woodbine stakes crown in the Selene.

The Wesley Ward trainee took last year's Shady Well and Victorian Queen, and then added another stakes title to her record with a win in this year's Star Shoot on June 13.

Merveilleux, owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling, seeks her first added-money win in what will be her seventh start.

The daughter of Paynter lost by a neck to Cool Shadows in last year's Princess Elizabeth and by a head to Curlin's Voyage in the Ontario Lassie.

Owlette and Merveilleux will be tested by five other rivals, including the Casse trio of American Tap, Diamond Sparkles, and Two Sixty.

A Florida-bred daughter of Uncaptured, Two Sixty, owned by Gary Barber, finished fourth in the Star Shoot Stakes.

“She's another one since that race who trained much better after being there for a little while,” noted Casse.

Diamond Sparkles, a Kentucky-bred daughter of War Front, made her North American debut in last year's Grade 1 Natalma Stakes, finishing fourth to Abscond.

The bay's most recent race, seven furlongs on the Woodbine main track on June 13, yielded a second-place finish.

“She came over from Europe, ran pretty good in the Natalma, and then struggled a little bit through the winter,” said Casse, of the filly owned by Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. “I thought her last race was good and she's training well. We're going to give her a shot.”

American Tap, bred by Tall Oaks Farm, is also owned by Barber.

Casse and Barber teamed to take the past two runnings of the Selene. Miss Mo Mentum won in 2018, while Power Gal was victorious last year.

A victory by any Casse starter would tie him with Yonnie Starr for the most Selene wins by a trainer, with six.

The Marine is Race 3 on Saturday's 10-race card and the Selene is scheduled as Race 8. First post time is 1 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

FIELD FOR THE $125,000 GRADE 3 MARINE
POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER
1 – Lucky Curlin – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse
2 – Glorious Tribute – Leo Salles – Barbara Minshall
3 – Lookinatamiracle – Patrick Husbands – Sandra Dominguez
4 – Dotted Line (S) – Justin Stein – Sid Attard
5 – Perfect Revenge – Daisuke Fukumoto – John Charalambous
6 – Untitled – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse
7 – Shirl's Speight – Rafael Hernandez – Roger Attfield

FIELD FOR THE $125,000 GRADE 3 SELENE
POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER
1 – Owlette – Luis Contreras – Wesley Ward
2 – Saratoga Vision – Simon Husbands – Alexander Patykewich
3 – Livin in the Six – Justin Stein – Mike De Paulo
4 – Diamond Sparkles (S) – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse
5 – American Tap – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse
6 – Two Sixty – Emma-Jayne-Wilson – Mark Casse
7 – Merveilleux – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard

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The Next Generation with Sam Bussanich

The TDN has partnered with Amplify Horse Racing to present “The Next Generation,” an ongoing video series featuring young people who were not born into the Thoroughbred business, but are now excelling within the industry.

The only thing six-year-old Samantha Bussanich needed was a trip to Calder Race Course with her grandfather to know that racing was the sport for her. Flash forward less than twenty years later, and she’s now an alumna of the University of Kentucky, and has made a name for herself in many sectors of Lexington’s Thoroughbred industry from racing, to breeding, to marketing. ‘Sam’ just wrapped up a three-year stint working for top trainer Mark Casse, and is now preparing to board a plane for Ireland in a few weeks to begin her journey with the Godolphin Flying Start program.

One of Sam’s favorite moments in racing was when she joined Casse trainee War of Will (War Front) in the winner’s circle for the Preakness S. in 2019. She wanted other young people to experience that same thrill in racing, so she and two friends founded Nexus Racing Club, an organization dedicated to promoting youth participation in racing through partnerships with established owners.

KR: How did you get involved in horse racing?

SB: I got involved in racing when my grandfather took me to Calder racetrack when I was about six years old. Ever since then, I have loved horse racing. And then I got into riding horses, and I went to the University of Kentucky.

What I love about the horse racing industry is the competitive nature of it. I’m a very competitive person. I played basketball growing up in high school, so when that ended, I needed something to replace that in my life, and horse racing is definitely a good replacement.

KR: What is your favorite part about the business?

SB: I have two different favorite parts I would say. One is watching the 2-year-olds develop and seeing them hopefully become great racehorses. And then the second part is the team aspect. I enjoy working with everyone and it makes waking up at four in the morning a lot easier when you have a good barn to go to every morning.

KR: What was it like being a total newcomer in the industry?

SB: I do think there are a lot of challenges to not being born in the sport. I moved from New Jersey to Lexington to go to the University of Kentucky, which not everyone can do. So I do think there needs to be more ways to get involved in the industry. A few friends of mine and I created Nexus Racing Club, and there’s also Amplify Horse Racing.

Right now, just trying to get new ways of getting people involved in the sport is a little bit challenging because you do have to work. You have to be outgoing. You have to talk to people and kind of really make your own path for yourself.

KR: Tell us more about Nexus Racing Club.

SB: So two friends and I co-founded Nexus Racing Club in 2017. We thought there needed to be a better way to get new people involved in the industry because the barrier of entry was so high to get into the sport. So Nexus Racing Club partners with owners, and we have leases on racehorses. We also do a lot of networking opportunities to just try and reach out to young people ages 18 to 30, to get them involved in the sport. We think it’s really important because it is hard to get into this sport , and [so we want to] teach them the sport in an easy way because sometimes it does get a little complicated.

KR: Can you tell us about your career path and where you are today?

SB: I was a double major in Marketing and Equine Science and Management at the University of Kentucky. I started working for Mark Casse my sophomore year of college. Now I’ve graduated and I’m still working for him. I also interned for Godolphin and for Keeneland’s marketing department. I think it’s been really good to have all those different experiences in the office and with the horses working hands on with them.

I got into the Godolphin Flying Start program, which starts in August. After that, I’m not really sure what I’m going to do. I’m going to take it day by day. Luckily, this industry offers so much with so many different aspects of what you can do with your career, so I’m going to learn and see what I want to do.

KR: If there was one thing you could change about the industry, what would it be?

SB: I think something that I would change in the sport is make the start time a little bit later at the track every morning. It is hard to get new people, especially people my age involved when you say, “Oh, you have to get up at four every morning to get to the barn by 4:30.” So even if we pushed it back an hour, I think that would help and get more people out to the track in the mornings to work.

KR: Who is your all-time favorite horse?

SB: My all-time favorite Thoroughbred is War of Will. That’s always changing for me, but right now it is War of Will. He’s taken me on some of the best experiences of my life. He gave me the best day of my life when he won the Preakness. He’s just such a cool horse. He’s so smart and easygoing, and we all love him so much.

It’s been so rewarding to just watch him develop with all different strings. He’s been in Canada, New York, Florida and Kentucky. He’s also been at the farm for a while. So everyone that’s a part of Team Casse got to be around him. He really is a team Casse kind of horse because everyone has gotten their hands on him. So, he’s rewarded everyone in the program.

KR: What are some of your career goals?

SB: My career goal is not only to better the industry, but to make it easier for younger people to get involved. I want to be someone that hopefully a young girl will reach out to and say, “Hey, how do I get another step forward in this industry?” Hopefully I’ll be easy to reach, provide them with some good advice and make them want to stay and work in the industry.

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Eclipse Apprentice Kimura Wins First Graded Stakes Guiding Lady Grace To Royal North Victory

Lady Grace and jockey Kazushi Kimura just missed the track record, taking the Grade 2 Royal North Stakes in 1:06.90 on Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

The six-furlong record for the E.P. Taylor Turf Course is 1:06.88, set by Kasuga on July 7, 2017.

Tracy Farmer's Lady Grace led a Mark Casse exacta worth $131.20 in the $175,000 co-feature for fillies and mares, with 11-1 shot Eyeinthesky and Patrick Husbands finishing a close second.

Making her graded stakes debut, Lady Grace settled off the pace near the back of the pack and staged a late rally between rivals to pull off the mild 6-1 upset and return $14.80 to win.

A third-place finisher in last year's William D. Graham Memorial Stakes at Woodbine, Lady Grace entered the Royal North fresh off a three-length victory in a six-furlong allowance turf sprint three weeks ago.

“Last time winning with her, the filly was such a nice horse,” said Kimura. “I'm not surprised today.”

“Last time I went to the front, but today there were so many speed horses to the front side, I just changed my mind, sat behind, stalking from behind then she came flying today.”

The favorites were on top, led by Sister Peacock through panels of :21.91 and :43.50. Her popular stablemate Summer Sunday, Canada's reigning Champion Female Sprinter, pressed the pace with supplemental entry Gamble's Candy three-wide and Foxy Belle stalking along the rail.

However, the late-closers stole the show. Lady Grace came flying by to prevail by three-quarters of a length with Gary Barber's Eyeinthesky, who closed from mid-pack, edging out Bohemian Bourbon, Charmaine's Mia and Sister Peacock for the runner-up honours.

It was 3 1/4 lengths back to Foxy Belle at the finish, with Summer Sunday and Gamble's Candy rounding out the order.

Bred in Florida by William C. Schettine and Willian B. Haines, the four-year-old Kantharos-Smart Sis filly is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Sis City.

Kimura, who was named Outstanding Apprentice Jockey in both Canada and the U.S. last year, picked up his first graded stakes victory. He was the top turf rider and won a total of 146 races in 2019 to place third in Woodbine's overall jockey standings. While his apprenticeship ended last October, the talented reinsman sits fourth on the leaderboard with 23 wins in a close race through the first 24 race days of the current meet.

Live Thoroughbred racing continues, without spectators, on Sunday at Woodbine Racetrack with post time for the first of nine races set for 1 p.m.

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U.S.’s First 2-Year-Old Winner Quinoa Tifah Returns In Thursday’s Schuylerville

Arindel Farm's Quinoa Tifah, the winner of the first race for 2-year-olds in the U.S. this year at Gulfstream Park, is set to make her much-anticipated return in Thursday's Schuylerville (G3) on Saratoga's opening-day program.

The Arindel homebred will be joined in the six-furlong sprint for 2-year-old fillies by two other recent Gulfstream winners, J Stables LLC and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Queen Arella and Briannjenn Racing LLC's Hara.

Juan Alvarado-trained Quinoa Tifah chased the heavily favored Lime before scoring over the Wesley Ward trainee by three-quarters of a length in a $65,000 maiden special weight race April 16 at Gulfstream. The Florida-bred daughter of Gemologist, who is not eligible for the upcoming Florida Sire Stakes series, ran 4 ½-furlongs in 52 seconds. Manny Franco has the call.

Queen Arella overcame a very troubled start in a May 29 maiden special weight race at Gulfstream to win her debut going away by four lengths. The Roderick Rodriguez-trained filly provided freshman sire Speightster with his first winner, running five furlongs in 59.54 seconds. Joel Rosario has the mount aboard the New York-bred filly.

Hara, who set a pressured pace before settling for second behind by Queen Arella in her debut, came back to score an impressive front-running eight-length victory at Gulfstream June 19. Tyler Gaffalione, a multi-meet champion at Gulfstream fresh off winning titles at Keeneland and Churchill Downs, has the call.

John Oxley's Beautiful Memories, a handy 10-length winner at Churchill in her recent debut for trainer Mark Casse, has been installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite.

One race later on the Saratoga card, Global Thoroughbred and Top Racing LLC's Caracaro, an impressive maiden winner during Gulfstream's Championship Meet, is scheduled to make his long-awaited return to action in the Peter Pan (G3).

Trained by Gustavo Delgado, the son of Uncle Mo has been idle since scoring an eye-catching six-length victory at a mile Jan. 11. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano has the call on Caracaro, who set a pressured pace in his Dec. 8 debut at Gulfstream before finishing second to a next-out winner. Mathis Stable LLC's Candy Tycoon, who broke his maiden at Gulfstream before finishing second in the Fountain of Youth (G2), is along among the eight 3-year-olds entered in the 1 1/8-mile race.

Saffie Joseph Jr., the Gulfstream Spring/Summer Meet's leading trainer, has sent multiple graded-stakes winner Tonalist's Shape to Saratoga for Saturday's Coaching Club American Oaks (G1). Owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Doug Branham and Legacy Ranch Inc., the daughter of Tonalist, is currently ninth in qualifying points for the Sept. 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs. Tonalist's Shape, an impressive allowance winner at Gulfstream in her most recent start, won the Forward Gal (G3) and the Davona Dale (G2) during the Championship Meet.

Joseph is also scheduled to send out Ny Traffic for Saturday's $1 million Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park. The 3-year-old son of Cross Traffic, who is owned by John Fanelli, Cash is King LLC, LC Racing and Paul Braverman, won an allowance at Gulfstream in his first start for Joseph before finishing third in the Risen Star (G2) and second in both the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds and the Matt Winn (G3) at Churchill Downs. Ny Traffic is currently eighth in qualifying points for the Sept. 3 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill.

Grupo 7C Racing Stable's Jesus' Team, a runner-up to Sole Volante in a stakes-quality allowance at Gulfstream last time out, was also entered in the Haskell by trainer Jose D'Angelo.

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