Our Braintrust sold, transferred to Mark Casse

Gary Barber has purchased Our Braintrust, runner-up in the $150,000 Jerome at Aqueduct on New Year's Day, from Maryland horseman Cal Lynch and the 3-year-old is now based in Ocala, Fla., with trainer Mark Casse.

On Tuesday, Casse breezed Our Braintrust a half-mile in 49 seconds at the Casse Racing Training Center.

"He went very well, I was pleased with him," Casse said. "I feel ready to run him."

Casse said he and Barber had not yet settled on a specific race but that the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers at Aqueduct or the Grade 2, $350,000 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park are among the options moving forward.

The Withers is a 1 1/8-mile race. The Holy Bull will be run at 1 1/16 miles. Both races are Feb. 2.

Other options include the 3-year-old series at Oaklawn Park or shortening Our Braintrust up to seven furlongs in the Grade 3 Swale on Feb. 2 at Gulfstream.

"We could cut him back in distance in something like the Swale, but I think we might take a chance and run him two turns," Casse said.

Casse is coming off a four-win day Saturday, which included an impressive victory by War of Will in the Grade 3 Lecomte at Fair Grounds. The four-length victory stamped War of Will as an early favorite for the Kentucky Derby. War of Will also races for Barber.

"You can never have too many Derby prospects," Casse said.

Our Braintrust is a Maryland-bred son of the New York-based stallion Freud. Lynch purchased Our Braintrust for $25,000 after he failed to reach his reserve at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic fall yearling sale at Timonium in October 2017. Bo Smith Jr. came in as a partner the day Lynch bought him.

Our Braintrust won his debut going 4 1/2 furlongs at Laurel Park in May. Lynch sent him to Belmont Park for the $150,000 Tremont, a 5 1/2-furlong race in early June, and he rallied from off the pace to win by three-quarters of a length.

Lynch gave Our Braintrust the rest of the summer off due to nagging shins. He finished second in the statebred Maryland Juvenile Futurity in his comeback and most recently was second best to Grade 1 Hopeful winner Mind Control in the one-mile Jerome. In four starts, he has earned $166,000.

"I think the farther he goes the better," Lynch said. "I think he'll be able to run on turf, too. We'll be cheering for him every step of the way."

Although Lynch and Smith turned a tidy profit with Our Braintrust, it is not easy to part ways with a horse of his quality.

"This is our way of life," Lynch said. "Horses like him don’t come around every year, but they pay the bills and it gives you a little bit of a breather."
Lynch said some of the proceeds will go back into his stable.

"We'll take the money and go buy more horses," Lynch said. "We've got the 2-year-old sales coming up. We'll try to find another like him."