Tri-State Futurity full of Casey horses

James W. Casey and John A. Casey own and train five of the eight entrants in the $50,000 Tri-State Futurity at Charles Town on Saturday night.

Although unlikely, it is possible that the entire field could be comprised of Casey runners. The other three horses in the seven-furlong Futurity are cross-entered in a West Virginia-bred maiden race Friday. Oddly, that race looks tougher than the Futurity as it has attracted Anywhere But Here and Jacky’s Man, the second- and third-place finishers in the $67,000 Vincent Moscarelli Memorial Breeders’ Classic on Oct. 8.

James Casey, the father of John, has two horses in the Tri-State Futurity, Candy Man One and Laso the Man. Candy Man One, a debut winner who will be making his second start, is the horse to beat.

Candy Man One battled with Limehouser from start to finish in his maiden score, finishing a head best over a sloppy track. The 44 Beyer Speed Figure he earned fits with those of his top Futurity rivals.

Laso the Man finished fourth in the Moscarelli and should enjoy the added sixteenth of a mile he gets in this race. Laso the Man is a maiden after three starts.

John Casey’s top entrant looks to be I Need You, who finished seventh in the Moscarelli.

The five Casey runners are all sired by either Windsor Castle or Denis of Cork, who stand at the family’s Taylor Mountain Farm, or Charitable Man, who stood there prior to his death in May.