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Norm Casse Celebrates ‘Surreal’ Saratoga Stakes Win For Marylou Whitney Stables

Marylou Whitney Stables' Pretty Birdie wired Thursday's Grade 3, $150,000 Schuylerville for juvenile fillies by two lengths in a fitting tribute to her late owner on Opening Day at Saratoga Race Course.

Trainer Norm Casse, the 37-year-old son of Hall of Fame conditioner Mark Casse, is a racing history buff and said the victory by the Bird Song grey, out of the Street Sense mare Bird Sense, resonated for him. Pretty Birdie's fourth dam, Dear Birdie, produced 2004 Belmont Stakes and Travers winner Birdstone for Whitney.

That year, with a Triple Crown on the line at Belmont Park, Birdstone upset the Kentucky Derby and Preakness-winner Smarty Jones at odds of 36-1 for Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito.

“Everyone assumes I love horse racing because of who my family is and who my father is, but Smarty Jones is the reason I fell in love with horse racing,” said Casse. “I think we all know the story on how that one ends with Marylou beating him, and now I train for her. It's just surreal. I thank her and John [Hendrickson] so much. They've really given me everything and I really appreciate everything they've done.”

Following Thursday's emotional win, Hendrickson reflected on how much it would have meant to his late wife, who provided so much to the racing community at Saratoga.

“This is where she felt the most alive. This is the way she is alive and she has a win on Opening Day. It's pretty special,” Hendrickson said. “This is a dream come true for me and Marylou. Things getting back to normal and winning on Opening Day, she's throwing a party. She said, 'I want to race, get back to work.'”

Pretty Birdie was quickest away from the inside post under Luis Saez and set swift fractions, while being tracked by the mutuel favorite Mainstay who was off a step slow. Despite appearing to tire late in the lane, Pretty Birdie held strong against her well-related rival, who is a half-sister to reigning 2-year-old champion filly Vequist.

“She didn't switch leads and it kind of looked like she was laboring down the lane, but I think that was more of her just being still a little green and still figuring things out,” Casse said. “But more importantly than that, it's the first time she's ever been over on the main track so I think she was looking around.”

Pretty Birdie, who garnered a 76 Beyer Speed Figure, entered the Schuylerville from a similar front-running score in a five-furlong maiden special weight on June 18 at Churchill Downs.

Casse said the attractive grey filly may have been distracted by an Opening Day crowd of 27,760 fans in attendance.

“When she ran at Churchill, it was a decent crowd when she won there but you can't recreate the Saratoga experience in most places,” Casse said. “She had a lot of excuses to finish the way she did down the lane, but I think it was more about that, than her ability. I think she was just playing around yesterday.”

Casse said Pretty Birdie will now look to stretch her speed in the seven-furlong Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway on September 5 at Saratoga.

“I'm a firm believer that if you have really great gate speed and you can run horses off their feet, it's very advantageous. It's the same thing as having a head start in a foot race,” Casse said. “Going forward, she should relax a little more but that doesn't mean she won't be on the front end.”

Casse, who has 16 stalls adjacent to the Oklahoma training track, said he will look to earn more hardware at the Spa summer meet with a pair of promising juveniles in Robert E. Masterson's Glacial, who is targeting the Grade 2, $150,000 Saratoga Special presented by Miller Lite; and Deuce Greathouse, Cindy Hutson and Madaket Stables' Ontheonesandtwos, who is probable for the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack on August 8.

Both juveniles last raced in six-furlong main track stakes on June 26, Closing Day at Churchill Downs, with Ontheonesandtwos finishing second in the Debutante and Glacial a strong third in the Grade 3 Bashford Manor.

“Ontheonesandtwos probably should have won the Debutante at Churchill on Closing Day,” Casse said. “She had a really tough trip. She'll breeze on Sunday and start preparing for the Adirondack.

“Glacial finished a really good third in the Bashford Manor,” Casse continued. “He's being pointed to the Saratoga Special.”

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Positive EHV-1 Case Triggers Quarantine At Saratoga

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) have placed Barn 86 at Saratoga Race Course under a precautionary quarantine until further notice due to a positive case of Equine Herpesvirus-1 in that barn.

The unnamed, unraced filly, who is trained by Jorge Abreu, was sent to Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital on Sunday, July 11 after developing a fever. She was subsequently tested for a number of potential ailments, and a positive test for EHV-1 was returned on Thursday afternoon. The filly began treatment immediately, and is improving under the care of Dr. Luis Castro, DVM.

Overseen by Dr. Anthony Verderosa, the director of NYRA's veterinary department, in consultation with the NYSGC, the Barn 86 quarantine is effective immediately with standard precautions and biosecurity measures now in place.

The 46 horses stabled in Barn 86, which is home to stalls for Abreu and trainer Kenny McPeek, will be monitored daily for fever and other signs of illness.

During the initial quarantine period, these horses will not be permitted to enter races or train among the general horse population. Afebrile/asymptomatic horses stabled in Barn 86 will have isolated training hours at the Oklahoma Training Track following the close of training for the general horse population at 10 a.m.

As of Thursday evening, no additional horses in the quarantined barn have exhibited symptoms.

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Nine-Month Layoff No Problem For Breeders’ Cup Winner Golden Pal In Saratoga’s Quick Call

Stakes action for the 2021 meet at Saratoga Race Course kicked off in exciting fashion on Thursday's Opening Day as highly regarded turf sprinter Golden Pal returned to the Spa with vigor, posting a three-length victory in the Grade 3, $120,000 Quick Call for 3-year-olds going 5 ½ furlongs over the Mellon turf course in front of 27,760 fans in attendance.

Golden Pal shook off eight months of rust from his previous outing in the Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on November 6 at Keeneland. That three-quarter length win came after another astounding Spa stakes win in the Skidmore at 5 ½ furlongs last August.

Golden Pal gave Coolmore partners Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg another graded stakes triumph on the NYRA circuit less than a week after respective victories with Santa Barbara and Bolshoi Ballet in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks and Grade 1 Belmont Derby on Saturday.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. nudged Golden Pal coming out of the gate and the talented bay responded swiftly, blitzing through the opening quarter-mile in a torrid 21.92 seconds over good turf. Jaxon Traveler kept close company in second as the field came around the far turn, but Ortiz, Jr. did not call on his charge until just past the quarter-pole.

Golden Pal extended his advantage in mid-stretch and was wrapped up past the sixteenth-pole, completing the journey in 1:02.99.

Florida invader Omaha City closed late for second, edging Jaxon Traveler by a half-length.

Rebel Posse, Second of July and Kentucky Pharoah completed the order of finish. Fauci and main track only entrants Mr. Sippi and Fire Sword were scratched.

Ortiz, Jr., who has never lost aboard Golden Pal in three starts, said he was pleased with the effort.

“He's a nice horse. I'm happy he came back where he left off,” said Ortiz, Jr., who piloted Charlie'sarchangel to victory in the first race on Opening Day. “He broke really nice for me. When I asked him, he responded really well. I didn't want to ask too early. I didn't want him to do too much, he's been off for a long time.”

Trainer Wesley Ward, who won his first graded stakes at the Spa, could not help but sing high praises on behalf of his talented colt.

“He's so extremely talented and quick,” Ward said. “He's a big horse and he moves like a cat and that's where he really has an advantage. I was a little concerned going into the race that I didn't have a gate work into him, but he's so smart that he overcame that in the first jump. When they said 'go,' he was gone.

“I like sprinters off layoffs,” Ward continued. “I think they run their best races off layoffs, more so than the distance horses. I think they need spacing in between because they are so fast and put so much into it, especially the first part of the race.”

Ward said the long term goal for Golden Pal is the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on November 6 at Del Mar.

“The bigger races are here in the next months and heading into the fall and then the Breeders' Cup, so this is when you want to see them do this,” Ward said.

Upping his consistent record to 5-3-2-0, Golden Pal added $66,000 to a bankroll which now stands at $659,056. He returned $2.40 as the 1-5 post-time favorite.

Bred in Florida by Randall E. Lowe, Golden Pal is out of the Midshipman mare Lady Shipman, who notched two of her 11 stakes triumphs at Saratoga in the 2015 Coronation Cup and Smart N Fancy.

Live action resumes Friday with a 10-race program headlined by the Grade 3, $150,000 Forbidden Apple for 4-year-olds and upward going one mile over the inner turf course. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

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‘It Would Mean The World To Me’: Trainer Matt Hebert Ships From Texas To Saratoga For Quick Call

It's a long journey from Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas to Saratoga Race Course – 1,444 miles to be exact – but trainer Matt Hebert said he has enough confidence in Rebel Posse to send the two-time winner for Thursday's Opening Day's Grade 3, $120,000 Quick Call at Saratoga.

“I like him a lot. It's a lot to ask a horse to ship that far, but I think we fit in there,” Hebert said.

When stepping up to graded stakes company for the first time in the 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for sophomores, Rebel Posse faces a salty group which includes highly-regarded Golden Pal who runs for the first time since capturing last year's Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland. He also will take on stakes-winner Jaxon Traveler, who has never finished worse than second in seven lifetime starts.

Rebel Posse, owned by C J Thoroughbreds, Mike Renfro and Francis Hartman, is unbeaten when sprinting on the grass. He broke his maiden at third asking when making his turf debut at Sam Houston on March 4. After a close second in an off-the-turf allowance event at Lone Star, Rebel Posse returned to the green with vigor when defeating winners traveling five furlongs on June 6 at the Texas oval.

Hebert said the extra half-furlong should suit Rebel Posse.

“I think the extra distance compared to the five eighths is going to be good,” Hebert said. “With that extra sixteenth of a mile, he should have something to run at. The way he runs and can relax a bit, it should be beneficial.”

Before going out on his own, Hebert worked as an assistant to recently retired Kentucky horseman Buff Bradley, for whom he helped oversee the campaign of dual Breeders' Cup-winner Groupie Doll.

Hebert, who sends out his first starter at a NYRA track in Rebel Posse, said it would be a thrill to win a race at Saratoga.

“It would mean absolutely everything. It would mean the world to me and everyone who helped me get to this point. This will be my first trip up here, so it's super cool,” Hebert said. “I worked for Buff for about six or seven years at Churchill, Keeneland and Gulfstream in the winter. After he sold Groupie Doll, he gave me a couple of his homebreds and said, 'Good luck.'”

Since going out on his own, Hebert has been primarily based on the southwest circuit. He recently completed the Lone Star Park meet, which finished on July 11, with a 33-5-5-5 record.

“It was kind of circumstantial,” Hebert said of how he got plugged into the Texas circuit. “We wintered at old Evangeline in Louisiana and would ship to Houston and did pretty well. When they tore the old Evangeline down, we had to stable at Houston and we just fell into the circuit. I've done Lone Star the past two years, and we did Remington this year. We did well in each spot and we picked up some clients along the way.”

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