Mark Casse | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Stormy’ Outlook in the Poker

The only female in Belmont’s GIII Poker S. field Saturday, Gary Barber’s Got Stormy (Get Stormy) enters the eight-furlong test packing top credentials as one of only two Grade I winners in the field of nine. Victorious in last summer’s De La Rose S. against fillies at Saratoga, she returned a week later to score by 2 1/2 lengths over the boys in the GI Fourstardave H. Not ducking anyone when second in the GI Woodbine Mile and GI Breeders’ Cup Mile last fall, she came from off the pace to take the Dec. 1 GI Matriarch S. at Del Mar. Winless in three starts this season, Got Stormy’s best effort came when second by a neck in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile Santa Anita Mar. 7. Last out, she ran fourth in the June 3 GIII Beaugay when chasing frontrunning Rushing Fall off a near three-month layoff at Belmont.

“The California race was very good,” said trainer Mark Casse. “Her last race was disappointing, but we took her out of her element. There was no speed in the race and we tried to keep her closer and that was to her demise. We won’t do that again, we’ll let her settle.”

Got Stormy scratched out of last Saturday’s GI Just a Game after persistent rainstorms soaked the Belmont green. Casse said he made the call after watching Monkeyseemonkeydo (Twirling Candy) win a seven-furlong turf maiden June 27 in 1:24.15.

“After watching them run seven-eighths in :24 and change, I said this turf is not for us,” explained Casse. “She didn’t get really good until last summer and her best races are on hard ground. I think the soft turf got her beat in the Woodbine Mile and she was just beat by a better horse at the Breeders’ Cup.”

“We’re just trying to find her top form and I believe it has to do with a harder turf course,” added Casse. “She won’t get it this weekend at Belmont, but she also likes the sharper turns at Saratoga and Santa Anita because she has a quick turn of foot when you ask her to go.”

Trainer Chad Brown is responsible for the only other Grade I winner in the Poker field, Valid Point (Scat Daddy), who will be accompanied by stablemate Value Proposition (GB) (Dansili {GB}) in the gate Saturday. Owned by eFive Racing Thoroughbreds and Michael J. Ryan, Valid Point won his first three career starts, including a one-length score in the GI Secretariat S. at Arlington last August. The colt completed his 3-year-old campaign with an off-the-board effort in October in the GI Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland. Klaravich Stables’ Value Proposition recorded a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure last out when capturing an optional-claiming turf mile at Belmont June 3. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will pilot Valid Point from post 2 while Value Proposition will exit post 9 under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

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Sir Winston Tries to Regain Belmont Glory in Suburban

Last season’s GI Belmont S. winner Sir Winston (Awesome Again) will attempt to return to the scene of his most important victory and try to add Saturday’s GII Suburban S. to his resume. Runner up in the GIII Peter Pan S. prior to his win in the third jewel of the Triple Crown, the Tracy Farmer hombred was sidelined because of a left front ankle injury last summer. Resurfacing with a forgettable 12th after a troubled trip in a soggy renewal of the one-mile Woodchopper S. over the Fair Grounds turf Dec. 28, he bounced back to win an Aqueduct allowance over a mile Jan. 31. Most recently, the chestnut finished second in the slop in the 11-furlong Flat Out S. June 11.

“It was a lot to ask of him,” said Casse of his latest start. “There was no speed in the race and the sloppy track probably didn’t help us either. He got a little tired, but he showed gameness to even run second. I think he’ll run really well.”

Casse said the colt breezed a half-mile in :50.78 seconds June 26 on Big Sandy.

“I think he got a lot out of it,” said Casse regarding the Flat Out. “My biggest concern is that he got too much out of it. He came back and worked well. He’s a happy horse and he loves Belmont.”

Tacitus (Tapit) has proven to be an enigma, seemingly poised to take it to the next level but never quite making the transition. Out of the Grade I-winning mare Close Hatches (First Defense), the Juddmonte hombred earned a pair of graded victories early last season–the GII Tampa Bay Derby and GII Wood Memorial- before finishing fourth, but later being elevated to third via the DQ of Maximum Security (New Year’s Day)–in the GI Kentucky Derby and second in the Belmont S. Runner up in Saratoga’s GII Jim Dandy S. and Travers S., he rounded out the season with a third in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. Fifth in the Saudi Cup in February, the roan was slated to run in the Dubai World Cup but was re-routed after that program was canceled due to COVID-19 and most recently finished fourth in the GII Oaklawn H. May 2. The front-running Mr. Buff (Friend or Foe) accounted for five of nine races in 2019, including five stakes victories, four of those against state-bred company. Winner of Aqueduct’s Jazil S. against open company last term, he successfully defended his title in the Jan. 25 renewal of the race before adding a 20-length score in the Haynesfield S. for Empire breds Feb. 22. Moretti (Medaglia d’Oro), who finished second in his first two starts of the season, won his two latest, including the Flat Out S. most recently. Javier Castellano, responsible for both recent wins, gets the call Saturday.

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Grade 1 Winner Got Stormy Takes On Males Again In Poker Stakes

Gary Barber's Got Stormy will once again take on the boys as she looks for the first win of her 2020 campaign in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Poker, a one-mile turf test for older horses on Runhappy Met Mile Day July 4 at Belmont Park.

The Grade 3 Poker is one of five graded stakes on a loaded card headlined by the Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile, open to 3-year-olds and up, offering a berth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile; along with the Grade 1, $400,000 Manhattan for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/4-miles on turf; the Grade 2, $200,000 Suburban, a 1 1/4-mile test on Big Sandy; and the Grade 3, $100,000 Victory Ride, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies.

Slated as Race 8 at 5:13 p.m. Eastern on Saturday's 11-race card, which offers a first post of 1:15 p.m., the Poker will feature live on NBC from 5 – 6 p.m. Eastern.

In August, Got Stormy, a 5-year-old daughter of Get Stormy, became the first filly to win the Grade 1 Fourstardave, in its 35th running, besting the boys at one mile over a firm inner turf in a track record 1:32 flat at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Got Stormy would face males in her next two starts finishing second in both the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, over soft going, and Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita. She completed a stellar season with a win in the Grade 1 Matriarch at Del Mar.

Winless in three starts this season, Got Stormy's best effort came when second by a neck to River Boyne in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile on March 7 at Santa Anita. Last out, she ran fourth in the Grade 3 Beaugay when chasing frontrunning winner Rushing Fall off a near three-month layoff on June 3 at Belmont.

“The California race was very good. Her last race was disappointing, but we took her out of her element,” said Casse. ” There was no speed in the race and we tried to keep her closer and that was to her demise. We won't do that again, we'll let her settle.”

Got Stormy scratched out of last Saturday's Grade 1 Just a Game after persistent rainstorms soaked the Belmont green. Casse said he made the call after watching Monkeyseemonkeydo win a seven-furlong turf maiden in 1:24.15.

“After watching them run seven-eighths in 24 and change, I said this turf is not for us,” said Casse. “She didn't get really good until last summer and her best races are on hard ground. I think the soft turf got her beat in the Woodbine Mile and she was just beat by a better horse at the Breeders' Cup.

“We're just trying to find her top form and I believe it has to do with a harder turf course,” added Casse. “She won't get it this weekend at Belmont, but she also likes the sharper turns at Saratoga and Santa Anita because she has a quick turn of foot when you ask her to go.”

Hall of Famer John Velazquez, who piloted Got Stormy to victory in the 2018 Wild Applause at one-mile on the Belmont turf, will be legged up on the talented chestnut for just the second time from post 7.

Four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, leading trainer at the Belmont spring/summer meet, will saddle the formidable duo of Grade 1-winner Valid Point and the improving Value Proposition.

Owned by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and Michael J. Ryan, Valid Point won his first three career starts topped by a one-length score in the Grade 1 Secretariat in August at Arlington Park. The 4-year-old Scat Daddy colt completed his campaign with an off-the-board effort in October in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland.

Klaravich Stables' Value Proposition, a dark bay son of Dansili, garnered a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure last out when capturing an optional-claiming turf mile on June 3 at Belmont Park.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will pilot Valid Point from post 2 while Value Proposition will exit post 9 under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

The Elkstone Group's Social Paranoia, trained by Todd Pletcher, offers a consistent record of 14-3-4-5 with purse earnings of $847,210. The 4-year-old Street Boss colt ran second here last year in Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational over 1 ¼-miles on the Widener turf to kick off the Turf Triple series. Social Paranoia was an even fourth in the Saratoga Derby Invitational, second leg of the Turf Triple, before winning the Dueling Grounds Derby at 1 5/16-miles at Kentucky Downs.

Social Paranoia made the grade in his seasonal debut with a rousing last-to-first charge in the Grade 3 Appleton, a one-mile turf test on March 28 at Gulfstream Park. He arrives at the Poker from an off-the-board effort in the Grade 2 Fort Marcy contested over nine furlongs on a Belmont inner turf rated good.

Jose Ortiz has the call aboard Social Paranoia from post 5.

Juddmonte Farms homebred Seismic Wave, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, captured the English Channel at one-mile on the Widener turf to close out his sophomore season. The Tapit chestnut, who boasts a record of 12-3-2-2, launched a seven-wide rally in his seasonal debut when charging from last-of-13 to finish fourth in the First Defence, a seven-furlong Widener turf test on June 7 at Belmont.

Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 4.

Rounding out the field are Dream Friend [Jose Lezcano, post 1], Hawkish [Manny Franco, post 3], Eons [Kendrick Carmouche, post 6], and main-track only entrant Its All Relevant [Romero Maragh, post 8].

America's Day at the Races, produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, and airing live on Fox Sports and MSG+ will offer live coverage of Belmont Park stakes action on Saturday from 1 – 5 p.m. and from 6 – 7 p.m. on FS1. Free Equibase-provided past performances are available for races that are part of the America's Day at the Races broadcast and can be accessed at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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Mark Casse Joins WHOA in Support of Horseracing Integrity Act

Mark E. Casse, one of the newest members of the racing Hall of Fame, has joined the Water Hay Oats Alliance (WHOA). Successful in both the United States and Canada, Casse has won the Sovereign Award for Outstanding Trainer in Canada a record 12 times and was inducted into the Canadian Racing Hall of Fame in 2016.

In a statement, Casse said, “After much thought, I have decided to join the WHOA. I continue to be frustrated by the lack of uniformity in our industry, and I know that WHOA is a big supporter of the Horseracing Integrity Act, as am I. It is my belief that it is our only chance to bring a level playing field to racing.”

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