Casse on incredible roll as second half of meet begins
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A four-win Sunday completed an eight-win week at Gulfstream Park for trainer Mark Casse, who with 24 wins ranks second only to Saffie Joseph Jr. in that category as the second half of the 84-day winter meet gets going this week.
Friday is the 43rd day of the session, and Casse has three runners on the program, perhaps none more prominent than Strong Quality, who returns in the featured mutli-conditioned allowance race scheduled for one mile on turf.
Strong Quality, a two-time listed stakes winner, is making his first start since he finished fourth, five lengths behind Carl Spackler, in the Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap on Aug. 11. Strong Quality was entered in the Mint Millions at Kentucky Downs in September, but Casse made the decision to give the son of Quality Road some time off.
“He’s training as good as ever,” Casse said. “He does like to be up close. Going a mile there may be some that are faster than him, but that’s okay.”
Strong Quality won his only start over the Gulfstream turf course, that coming in a 7 1/2-furlong first-level allowance in February 2023. Overall, Strong Quality has won the last three allowance races in which he’s run, one of them being on the dirt in November 2023 at Churchill Downs.
Silent Heart, trained by Brian Lynch, is two-time winner over Gulfstream’s turf course, including a victory in the Showing Up Stakes here Nov. 2. At last year’s winter meet, Silent Heart won his debut sprinting on turf and was third, beaten a neck, in the one-mile Colonel Liam Stakes. His last two starts were at 1 1/16 miles.
“He’s doing good coming into it and he’s coming out of two pretty good little races,” Lynch said.
Silent Heart has been stalking in his recent races. Lynch said he may have jockey Luis Saez put him on the lead, a style his sire, Heart to Heart, also trained by Lynch, used effectively at Gulfstream where he was a five-time stakes winner.
“He might be a bit like his father, you might need to just let him go on,” Lynch said. “He might be a bit of a free-running horse, we’re about to find that out on Friday.”
Beuys, a 7-year-old Irish-bred gelding by Siyouni, makes his first start off a near three-month layoff, or since he won a second-level allowance race at Churchill. This will be his first start for trainer Robert Falcone Jr. and GOAT Racing Stable, which purchased him out of a digital sale.
“He’s training good, hasn’t missed a beat. I think he’s fit enough where if he brings his A game he fits with them,” Falcone said.
The mare Freedom Speaks also is starting for a new trainer. She goes out first time for Heather Smullen after making her last two starts for Jose D’Angelo. She is a stakes winner sprinting on turf but would be making her first start since July when she finished seventh in the Grade 3 Caress Stakes at Saratoga.
Happyisashappydoes, Freedom Principle, Ruse, Dominican Pioneer, and Real Macho complete the field.
Mindframe nearing return
Mindframe, the 2024 Belmont Stakes and Haskell runner-up, is getting closer to his return to the races.
Unraced since the Haskell last July, Mindframe has had five works since resuming training, including his first five-furlong move in 1:00.85 on Jan. 24 at Palm Beach Downs.
Trainer Todd Pletcher said he would evaluate where the horse is following his next two workouts. One potential option for Mindframe’s return is the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile on March 1. Pletcher said he is hopeful wherever Mindframe returns, he runs well enough to be considered for the $12 million Dubai World Cup on April 5.
“He’s coming along,” Pletcher said. “Dubai is definitely on the radar.”
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