Casse unleashes 2-year-olds
As the comedy writer and actor Larry David would say, “Things are pretty, pretty, pretty good” right now for trainer Mark Casse.
Stabled with Casse are Tepin and Catch a Glimpse. Last year, Tepin won the Breeders’ Cup Mile and the Eclipse Award for the top filly or mare on turf. She hasn’t lost in 2016 and is being pointed to the Group 1 Queen Anne at Royal Ascot. Catch a Glimpse won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and was the Horse of the Year in Canada in 2015. She also hasn’t lost in four starts this year, including an easy win in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride at Gulfstream Park.
Casse has been the leading trainer at Woodbine 10 times and will be inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame on Aug. 3. Through Tuesday, he had won 2,022 races, and his horses had earned more than $111 million.
Casse has a good record with 2-year-olds, and he has a couple of babies running at Gulfstream on Friday. The eight-race card, which begins at 1:15 p.m. Eastern, features three maiden special weight races for 2-year-olds going five furlongs.
“One of the reasons we race in Florida all year now is the excellent 2-year-old program they have,” said Casse. “A lot of our 2-year-olds come from Jacks or Better, and they’re usually ready to run when we get them.”
Both juveniles Casse has in Friday are Jacks or Better Farm homebreds. Awesome Standard drew the rail and likely will be one of the favorites among the seven colts and geldings entered in race 7. The filly Joyful Noise drew post 6 in the fifth race. They will be ridden by Elvis Trujillo.
“They are both training well,” said Casse. “Awesome Standard got a little sick and missed some training, but he’s doing great now. I’m not too concerned about the rail. He’s pretty quick coming out of the gate.”
Awesome Standard is the first foal out of the unraced mare Indy Standard. His sire, Awesome of Course, was a juvenile stakes winner, and his progeny can be precocious, winning their 2-year-old debuts at a 17 percent clip.
He’s the One, fourth when he debuted in a key maiden special weight race May 12 for trainer Douglas Potter, should attract come attention in Awesome Standard’s race.