Casse moves string out of Southern California

DEL MAR, Calif. – Trainer Mark Casse removed his small stable of approximately 12 runners from Del Mar on Wednesday and said Thursday he might not have runners in Southern California until next summer.

Casse had one win from six starters in the first half of the 40-day summer meeting at Del Mar. Last year, for the entire meeting, Casse had a larger stable that won five races from 34 runners. Casse had a regular presence at Del Mar in 2014 but left the stable’s day-to-day operations to an assistant this summer.

“It made it difficult with most of the clients in the East,” Casse said by telephone. “It dwindled down and dwindled down. Nobody was really enthusiastic about sending horses out.”

Casse has a year-round base in Ocala, Fla., and has divisions at Saratoga and Woodbine this summer. He said California could factor into his plans in the winter or more likely well into next year in advance of the Breeders’ Cup races at Santa Anita in November 2016.

“I don’t think we’ll be back in the fall – maybe in the winter,” Casse said. “The plan would be to come back next summer for the Breeders’ Cup.”