Dontblamerocket continues run for Norm Casse
Trainer Mark Casse had himself a day last Saturday. At Fair Grounds, the Casse-trained Enforceable won the Lecomte Stakes. Two Sixty won the Gasparilla at Tampa Bay Downs, and March to the Arch the Sunshine Millions Turf at Gulfstream. This sort of success isn’t especially unusual for the sprawling stable of Mark Casse, but his son, Norm Casse, also had a notable winner Saturday.
The younger Casse sent out Dontblamerocket to a sharp three-length victory in the $123,000 Colonel E.R. Bradley Stakes at Fair Grounds, the second stakes win from 26 such starters in a training career Casse launched in 2018 after several years as assistant to his father. Casse and the AJ Suited Racing Stable claimed Dontblamerocket last May for $50,000, and in his three starts since he has won a lucrative starter-allowance race at Saratoga, an even richer starter-allowance at Kentucky Downs, and now the Bradley, the first stakes start of his career.
Dontblamerocket, by Blame, is a 6-year-old but has raced only 14 times, winning half his starts. He’s done especially well at Fair Grounds, going 5-2-0 from 8 starts, but Casse said it’s been Dontblamerocket’s training at Palm Meadows in Florida that has helped him move forward this winter.
“Honestly, no, I wasn’t surprised at how he ran,” Casse said. “Since we got him down to Florida and he’s been able to work on turf at Palm Meadows, his work two weeks prior to this race was one of the best turf works I’ve ever seen. And I’ve been around some good turf horses.”
While Dontblamerocket has bloomed at Palm Meadows, Casse, who runs a small string in New Orleans, kept at the front of his mind the gelding’s fondness for the Fair Grounds grass course. Dontblamerocket will continue to train in Florida but, all being well, will ship back to Fair Grounds for the Fair Grounds Stakes on Feb. 15.
“He’s sound, very professional, and really enjoys what he does,” Casse said. “As long as we can keep him happy and healthy, he should have a good little year.”
