Casse barn to be active at Belmont Stakes Racing Festival

ELMONT, N.Y. – In addition to running War of Will and Sir Winston in the Belmont Stakes, trainer Mark Casse will have plenty of other action to keep him busy during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which consists of 18 stakes over three days beginning Thursday.

Casse said he plans to run both Perfect Alibi and Reiterate in Thursday’s $150,000 Astoria Stakes for 2-year-old fillies; Chocolate Kisses in Thursday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Wonder Again; Got Stormy in Saturday’s Grade 1 Just a Game; Dream Maker in Saturday’s $150,000 Easy Goer Stakes; and maybe Strike Silver in Saturday’s Grade 1 Woody Stephens.

Perfect Alibi, a daughter of Sky Mesa, won her debut going five furlongs at Churchill Downs by 9 1/2 lengths on May 16.

“The reason I’m going to run her there instead of leaving her in Kentucky for the Debutante is if she gave me a good effort I can run her in the Schuylerville,” said Casse, referring to the Grade 3 stakes race July 11 at Saratoga.

Reiterate dead-heated for the win in an April 11 maiden race at Gulfstream Park.

Got Stormy is coming out of a second-place finish to Beau Recall in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile.

Casse said he wants to see how Strike Silver trains before deciding whether to wheel him back two weeks after he finished third in the Paradise Creek Stakes on turf. Strike Silver hasn’t raced on dirt since he was second, beaten a neck, in last year’s Sanford Stakes at Saratoga.