Mark Casse | Horse Racing Free Tips

Belmont Stakes May Lack Extra ‘Star Power,’ But Connections Are Excited To Kick Off Triple Crown

The past several weeks' three major defections from the 3-year-old season – Charlatan, Nadal, and Maxfield – may have turned this Saturday's Belmont Stakes into a smaller field, but connections were still quick to express their excitement for the the non-traditional first leg of the Triple Crown during an NTRA conference call Monday afternoon.

“My original thought was that it could potentially be a race that would oversubscribe, but now it looks like it's going to be more in the neighborhood of an eight or a nine-horse field, max,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, who plans to enter the pair of Dr. Post and Farmington Road. “That does surprise me a little bit, and I think that's partly due to some bad luck for some horses and also the uncertainty due to the timing of everything.”

The changing schedule of the Triple Crown, caused by the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, saw the Kentucky Derby pushed back from the first Saturday in May to the first Saturday in September. The Preakness was rescheduled for the first Saturday in October, and the Belmont was pushed back three weeks from its originally-scheduled date, and is now the first leg of the classic series.

Rather than running the Belmont at the traditional 1 1/2-mile distance, the New York Racing Association made the decision to shorten it to nine furlongs, turning the “Test of the Champion” into a one-turn affair.

“I had spoken to people three or four weeks ago, and said that in many ways I felt I thought the Belmont was going to be this year's Kentucky Derby, because its the first time that the best horses in training were going to be meeting each other, the West Coast and East Coast and in-between,” echoed Jack Knowlton, co-owner of likely favorite Tiz the Law. “Clearly because of the injuries in Bob's two horses, and now with Maxfield out, there isn't the star power that we all expected.

“But, I feel good about the race being a mile and an eighth. We know that Tiz the Law can handle Belmont, he trains on it, he won the G1 Champagne there. I think the configuration, with a long run down the backside, Manny (Franco's) gonna have an opportunity to put him where he wants to put him. He'll be able to make the run that he's made in all four of his wins, just kind of stalking a little bit off the pace, then moving forward around the turn and winning the race in the stretch.”

It is not yet clear whether any owners will be able to attend the Belmont Stakes, which Knowlton especially acknowledged was a new challenge. His Sackatoga Stable group became famous when they won the 2003 Kentucky Derby with Funny Cide, after riding several school busses from their hotel to Churchill Downs with a 53-person entourage.

This time around, the majority of the Sackatoga group plans to watch the Belmont Stakes from a restaurant patio in Saratoga.

“Funny Cide was a once in a lifetime for an outfit like ours,” Knowlton said. “To have it happen again, it looks like lightning really has struck twice… so the school bus will be reserved for Louisville, and we're hopeful we will be able to have owners and a number of fans at Churchill.”

Meanwhile, Knowlton has all the faith in the world in veteran trainer Barclay Tagg.

“Barclay's been in the game for 50 years, and he's got all the experience you need,” Knowlton said. “He doesn't get horses like Funny Cide or Tiz the Law very often, but when he does, he makes the most of it.”

Looking to upset the favorite will be a recent allowance winner trained by Mark Casse, who also took time to speak to media during Monday's teleconference. The 3-year-old son of Tapit broke his maiden at Saratoga back in August, and Casse immediately started thinking about bigger and better things.

“After he broke his maiden, I told (owner) Mrs. Weber, 'I think this colt could win the Breeders' Cup this fall, but it's going to be a bit of a rush, and we're going to have to run him two turns in his next start,'” Casse recalled.

His first two-turn race, the Breeders' Futurity, was a bit of a disaster when he missed the start, rushed up and fought with jockey Tyler Gaffalione, and faded to finish 10th. Trying again in the listed Street Sense Stakes, Tap It To Win was gashed up at the start and again finished at the rear of the field.

“He couldn't hardly walk for a couple weeks after, and it turns out a piece of bone actually died, so we had to operate on him,” Casse explained. After taking the winter off, Tap It To Win “came back with a vengeance, and with a much better attitude. He's always shown, from the time we got him, that he was something exceptional.”

He won his first start off the layoff, and his second start on June 4 resulted in a five-length romp at Belmont Park.

“Johnny (Velazquez, jockey) is the one that kind of convinced me for sure that the Belmont is the way to go.” Casse said. “He felt like he finished with something left, and he said he galloped out very strong.”

The Belmont will be the colt's third race off the layoff, and Tap It To Win could be poised for a career-best performance.

Meanwhile, Pletcher's pair of Farmington Road and Dr Post, both sired by Quality Road, are also preparing well for Saturday's big test. The lightly-raced Dr Post got a “good education” last out when he won the listed Unbridled Stakes at Gulfstream Park, Pletcher said, and should be close enough to the pace to make his presence felt.

Farmington Road hasn't shown the same success rate on the track as his stablemate, and Pletcher admitted that the 1 1/2-mile distance might have been more his style.

“He's come close to a breakthrough performance, and he would appreciate a good honest pace up front,” Pletcher said. “On paper, it looks like it should have solid pace. Because of the one-turn dimension, horses lay a little closer to the pack because the first turn doesn't spread them out… that's to the benefit of Farmington Road because he won't be so far out of contention early.”

Also expected for Saturday's Grade 1 Belmont Stakes are: Jungle Runner, Max Player, Modernist, Pnuematic, and Sole Volante.

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Wonder Gadot Voted Canadian Horse Of The Year

The Jockey Club of Canada hosted the 44th Annual Sovereign Awards ceremony on Thursday, April 18, 2019 at Vaughan's elegant Chateau Le Jardin.

The top three finalists in each category are determined by the online ballots of the Jockey Club of Canada's knowledgeable voters. The media category award finalists were determined by the Professors of Humber School of Media Studies and Information Technology, in Toronto, Ontario.

The Jockey Club of Canada is pleased to announce the 2018 Sovereign Award winners in the order in which they were presented.

(Media) Outstanding Photograph:

Santino Di Paola – Into the Turn
Published, ontarioracing.com

(Media) Outstanding Writing:

Hayley Morrison – Hail to the War Horses
Published, Canadian Thoroughbred Magazine, February 2018

(Media) Outstanding Digital Audio/Visual & Broadcast:

Horse Racing Radio Network – 159th Queen's Plate
Published, horseracingradio.net

The Jockey Club of Canada Scholarship Award: Bobby Mihalik

Bobby Mihalik earned the inaugural award at the School of Media Studies and Information Technology, Humber Institute of Advanced Technology and Advanced Learning.
Mihalik's lifelong passion for writing is driven by the enjoyment of learning about editing for both print and online. He shared that his time as editor-in-chief of his class's summer newsroom “was also enjoyable for me as it helped develop both my editing and proofreading skills, as well as how to effectively manage others.”

Outstanding Groom Award: Amanda Erwin

Amanda has been working on the racetrack since she was 10-years-old on the backstretch with her father, trainer Dennis Erwin, walking hots and learning about grooming. She was a teenager when she moved to the stable of successful trainer Mike Keogh, whom she continues to work for today.
During her career, Amanda groomed Canadian stars such as the 2003 Horse of the Year Wando, who became the seventh Canadian Triple Crown winner since the series was inaugurated in 1959. She also cared for the 1999 Queen's Plate winner and Champion 3-year-old Woodcarver. “There is something so special about seeing a racehorse from a young age and watching them develop,” said Erwin. “I strive to keep the horses happy, calm and enjoy their job.”

Outstanding Handicapper: Nick Noce

Nick Noce has always been fond of Woodbine. On July 21, 2018 he finished first of 106 entries in Woodbine's Mid-Summer Horseplayers Tournament. “I just love Woodbine. I don't usually miss one of their tournaments,” said Noce, who first began playing contests at Penn National in the 1990s.

Nick has always been a racing fan, and the Rochester, New York resident has also worked in the industry for 25 years. He started out at Western Regional Off-Track Betting selling pari-mutuel tickets to Western New York State horseplayers, and eventually worked his way up to Chief Financial Officer.

No longer working in the industry Nick, a self-professed “weekend warrior”, still looks for any opportunity to spend a day playing the races.
E. P. Taylor Award of Merit: Gustav Schickedanz

Arriving in Canada at the age of 21, Gustav (Gus) Schickedanz built a successful career in land development as a bricklayer and stonemason.

Gus first purchased Canadian-bred yearlings at auction in the 1970s and prepared them to race at his Schonberg Farm in Nobleton, ON. In a matter of years he achieved his first stakes win with Victorious Answer, who also became his foundation broodmare.

Gus' successful homebred Langfuhr, was a multiple graded stakes winner and the 1996 Champion Male Sprinter. As a sire, Langfuhr produced six champions including Wando, the seventh winner of the Canadian Triple Crown and 2003 Horse of the Year and Woodcarver, Champion Three-Year-Old Male and winner of the 1999 Queen's Plate.

Gus has bred multiple graded stakes winners including Gal In A Ruckus the only Canadian bred to win the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks Stakes and Jambalaya, the only Canadian bred to win the Grade 1 Arlington Million Handicap. Gus has also won multiple Sovereign Awards as an owner and breeder and was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2009.

Outstanding Broodmare: In Return

Horse Chestnut (Saf) – Bartered Bride, by Shadeed
Progeny Earnings $1,953,593
Owner: Ivan Dalos
Breeder: Tall Oaks Farm

The late In Return was a winner on the track and a true gem in her breeding career. Her sons Channel Maker and Johnny Bear are both champions and Grade 1 winners. Channel Maker, 2017 Champion Three-Year-Old, won the 2018 Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park and the Grade 2 Bowling Green Stakes at Saratoga. Johnny Bear won the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Stakes in 2018 for the second consecutive year and is the 2017 Champion Turf Male.
In Return (101), Loving Vindication (86), Avie's Empire (28)

Outstanding Apprentice Jockey: Kazushi Kimura

Starts (663); Wins (104); Seconds (84); Thirds (84)
Earnings $2,451,326; Stakes win 1

It has been more than a decade since Canadian racing has had an apprentice jockey as dominant as Kazushi Kimura was in 2018. He learned to ride when he was just six-years-old at his parents training centre in Japan and polished his riding skills before arriving at Woodbine in 2018, winning his first race in June of that year. Other career highlights came with his first stakes victory in the Muskoka Stakes as well as, winning five races in one day on October 12th.
Kazushi Kimura (157), Daisuke Fukumoto (75), Lenny A. Seecharan (28)

Champion Older Male: Mr Havercamp

DK. B. or B. g. 4 / Sire: Court Vision / Dam: Tennessee Lamb (Medaglia d'Oro)
Trainer: Catherine Day Phillips
Owner: Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry
Breeder: Sean Fitzhenry
2018: 6 Starts – 3 wins – 1 seconds – 0 third – $513,500
Winner: Autumn S. (G2), Play the King S. (G2), Steady Growth S.

Mr Havercamp (123), Pink Lloyd (49), Tiz a Slam (38)

Champion Older Female: Escape Clause

B. f. 4 / Sire: Going Commando / Dam: Danger Pay (Circulating)
Trainer: Don Schnell
Owner: Don Schnell, Barry Arnason and True North
Breeder: Cam Ziprick & Arnason Farms
2018: 13 Starts – 9 wins – 1 second – 2 thirds – $265,419
Winner: Kathryn Crosby S., CTHS Sales S., Lynn Chouinard Founders Distaff H., Manitoba Matron S., City of Edmonton Distaff H., Distaff S., Winnipeg Sun S., Allowance Optional Claiming, La Verendrye S.

Escape Clause (102), Gamble's Ghost (81), Starship Jubilee (45)

Outstanding Trainer: Mark Casse

Starts (Can) 517; Wins (106); Seconds (81); Thirds (74)
Earnings $5,812,969; Stakes wins 22

A 10-time winner of this award, Mark Casse had another blockbuster season in 2018 with 106 Canadian winners and an incredible 22 stakes wins. Wonder Gadot stood at the top of her game winning the first two legs of the Canadian Triple Crown. Casse completed the series with Neepawa's win the Breeder's Stakes. Also, among Casse's stakes winners is Lookin to Strike and Shamrock Rose, the winner of the La Lorgnette Stakes who went on to win the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

Mark Casse (134), Norman McKnight (70), Kevin Attard (29)

Champion Male Turf Horse: Mr Havercamp

Mr Havercamp (126), Johnny Bear (75), Tiz a Slam (61)

Champion Female Turf Horse: Starship Jubilee

B. f. 4 / Sire: Indy Wind / Dam: Perfectly Wild (Forest Wildcat)
Trainer: Kevin Attard
Owner: Blue Heaven Farm
Breeder: William P. Sorren
2018: 8 Starts – 3 wins – 1 second – 0 third – $319,400
Winner: Canadian S. (G2), Starter Optional Claiming, Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf S.

Starship Jubilee (143), Niigon's Eclipse (37), Dixie Moon (32)

Outstanding Breeder: Tall Oaks Farm

Starters 48; Winners 27
Earnings $2,957,008
Starts (280); Wins (49); Seconds (32); Thirds (31)

A three-time finalist in this category, Tall Oaks Farm, owned by Ivan Dalos had another stellar season with nine stakes horses and five are 2018 Sovereign Award finalists. Dalos, bred two Grade 1 winners, Channel Maker winner of the 2018 Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Invitational and Johnny Bear, the winner of the 2017 and 2018 Grade 1 Northern Dancer Stakes. Tall Oaks Farm campaigned homebreds Avie's Flatter, Avie's Mineshaft and Gamble's Ghost in 2018.

Tall Oaks Farm (85), Adena Springs (64), Chiefswood Stables Limited (60)

Champion Two-Year-Old Male: Avie's Flatter

B. c. 2 / Sire: Flatter / Dam: Avie's Empire (Empire Maker)
Trainer: Josie Carroll
Owner: Ivan Dalos
Breeder: Tall Oaks Farm
2018: 4 Starts – 3 wins – 0 second – 0 third – $328,800
Winner: Coronation Futurity S., Cup and Saucer S., MSW

Avie's Flatter (143), Solidify (59), War of Will (50)

Champion Two-Year-Old Female: Bold Script

GR/RO. f. 2 / Sire: Speightstown / Dam: Original Script (Malibu Moon)
Trainer: Stuart Simon
Owner: Chiefswood Stables
Breeder: Chiefswood Stables Limited
2018: 5 Starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 2 thirds – $267,000
Winner: Princess Elizabeth S., MSW

Bold Script (93), My Gal Betty (86), Tiz Breathtaking (69)

Outstanding Jockey: Eurico Rosa Da Silva

Starts (Can) (856); Wins (237); Seconds (173); Thirds (119)
Earnings $8,345,386; Stakes wins 29

With a record-breaking season in 2018, he won his fourth consecutive Woodbine riding title and reached a career milestone winning his 2,000th race in September. Da Silva finished the season with 237 wins beating the previous record of 221 wins set in 1991. Among Da Silva's racing stars is Sovereign Award finalists Avie's Flatter, Pink Lloyd and Dixie Moon winner of the 2018 Woodbine Oaks.

Eurico Rosa Da Silva (160), Rafael Hernandez (50), Luis Contreras (30)

Champion Male Sprinter: Pink Lloyd

Ch. g. 6 / Sire: Old Forester / Dam: Gladiator Queen (Great Gladiator)
Trainer: Robert P. Tiller
Owner: Entourage Stable
Breeder: John Carey
2018: 8 Starts – 5 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third – $385,750
Winner: Kenora S., Vigil S. (G3), Achievement S., New Providence S., Jacques Cartier S.

Pink Lloyd (123), Yorkton (57), Ikerrin Road (49)

Champion Female Sprinter: Moonlit Promise

B. m. 5, by Malibu Moon – Smart Surprise (Smart Strike)
Trainer: Josie Carroll
Owner: Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. (J. G. Sikura) and Windsor Boys Racing
Breeder: Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc.
2018: 9 Starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 2 thirds – $226,563
Winner: Bessarabian S. (G2), Sweet Briar Too S.

Moonlit Promise (112), Code Warrior (54), Escape Clause (43)

Outstanding Owner: Chiefswood Stables Limited

Starts (146); Wins (31); Seconds (23); Thirds (25)
Earnings $2,586,506 Stakes wins 6

Winner of this award in 2017, Robert and Mark Krembil and their Chiefswood Stables had their most successful season to date in 2018. Surpassing their 2017 purse earnings by over $300,000, with six stakes wins, they finished on top of the owner's standings at Woodbine by earnings. Chiefswood Stables and their five stakes winners were all up for 2018 Sovereign Awards including Bold Script 2018 Champion Two-Year-Old Female, Neepawa, Niigon's Eclipse, Yorkton and multiple graded stakes winner Tiz a Slam.

Chiefswood Stables (100), Ivan Dalos (56), Gary Barber (53)

E. P. Taylor Award of Merit: William D. Graham

Bill became hooked on horse racing after his honeymoon trip to Gulfstream Park with his late wife Valerie. Destined for success, Bill set out to purchase top class fillies. His early acquisitions were yearlings that went on to become talented racehorses and successful broodmares. For close to 50 years in the industry, Bill built Windhaven Farms in Caledon, ON and Lexington, KY, into one of the most respected and successful breeding operations in North America.

Winning his first Sovereign Award in 1989, Bill continued his success with the 2012 Sovereign Award for Outstanding Breeder. Over the years, Bill owned and bred multiple champions including Conquest Harlanate and Uncaptured.

Bill was involved in many industry organizations over the years and was the founder of the Canadian company, Graham Brothers Construction, the builders of Woodbine's E. P. Taylor Turf Course. He was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2014.

Bill Graham passed away on January 15, 2019 at the age of 81 and is dearly missed by his family, friends and the North American Thoroughbred community.

Champion Three-Year-Old Male: Sky Promise

B. c. 3 / Sire: Sky Mesa / Dam: Maddie's Promise (Dehere)
Trainer: Robertino Diodoro
Owner: Rick Wiest, Clayton Wiest, R 6 Stable and Norman Tremblay
Breeder: Normandy Farm LLC
2018: 11 Starts – 3 wins – 2 seconds – 0 third – $280,714
Winner: British Columbia Derby (G3), Canadian Derby (G3), Manitoba Derby

Sky Promise (111), Lookin to Strike (55), Neepawa (33)

Champion Three-Year-Old Filly: Wonder Gadot

DK. B or B. f. 3 / Sire: Medaglia d'Oro / Dam: Loving Vindication (Vindication)
Trainer: Mark Casse
Owner: Gary Barber
Breeder: Anderson Farms Ont. Inc.
2018: 11 Starts – 2 wins – 4 seconds – 3 thirds – $1,403,200
Winner: Prince of Wales S., Queen's Plate S.

Wonder Gadot (160), Dixie Moon (75), Here's Hannah (19)

Horse of The Year: Wonder Gadot

Wonder Gadot (136), Pink Lloyd (30), Mr Havercamp (30), Escape Clause (24)

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‘All Systems Are Go’ For Derby Contender War Of Will After ‘Exceptionally Good’ Breeze

Gary Barber's War of Will breezed 5 furlongs in 1:00.20 over a sealed muddy surface at Keeneland Friday when the track opened at 5:30 a.m. In company with maiden winner Battle of Memphis, War of Will clocked splits of :24.40 and :48.60 and galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:13.60.

“He trained beautifully all week, and he definitely has progressed from his last breeze,” David Carroll, assistant to trainer Mark Casse, said. “All indications were that he would go exceptionally good today, and we saw that. We couldn't be any happier. All systems are go at the moment.”

With 60 qualifying points, War of Will has a guaranteed place in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on May 4.

At Fair Grounds this year, War of Will won the Risen Star Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) and Lecomte (G3). On March 23, he was ninth in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) after losing his footing at the start. He arrived at Keeneland four days later.

On April 13 at Keeneland, War of Will breezed 5 furlongs from the gate in :59, the best of 44 at the distance.

”Each day he seems to be getting better,” Carroll said. “He cooled out beautifully this morning. (Track Superintendent Javier Barajas) put a good seal on the track and it had a really good bottom on it today. He does a tremendous job on the track.”

Carroll said no decision has been made about when War of Will would ship to Churchill Downs.

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