After a three-race losing skid to start his 4-year-old season, Staton Flurry's dark bay runner got his sea legs back under him and notched his biggest win to date in the June 16 $200,000 Wise Dan Stakes (G2).
With his spark reportedly showing back up in the a.m. hours, Live Oak Plantation's homebred World Approval aims to get back to showcasing his top form June 16 when he heads a field of eight entered for the $200,000 Wise Dan Stakes (G2T).
Wonder Gadot, who has been holding her own against the best of her set south of the border, returns to friendlier confines June 9 for the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks Presented By Budweiser.
Rallying in the stretch with a determined drive, Gary Barber's Got Stormy edged past her competition to win the $200,000 Penn Oaks at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course on June 2.
Gary Barber's Miss Mo Mentum chased down 8-5 favorite Dixie Moon in the stretch of the $125,000 Selene Stakes (G3) to win her first graded race by a neck May 19 at Woodbine.
Trainer Mark Casse said Live Oak Plantation's 6-year-old Northern Afleet gelding, who won the 1 1/16-mile Dixie on good going last year, isn't bothered by a rain-softened course.
Gary Barber, Baccari Racing Stable, and Chester Prince's Salty made a final surge to the front along the inside rail to win the La Troienne Stakes presented by Twinspires.com (G1) in a final time of 1:43.78.
As part of the undercard of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), the John Oxley-owned pair will meet on the track for the one-mile test for 4-year-old fillies and up over the Churchill Downs turf.
Driving the crowd to a frenzy as she dug in at the wire, Let It Ride Mom, with jockey Patrick Husbands aboard, split from midpack in the last seconds of the Whimsical Stakes (G3) for a final time of 1:08.96.
While Flameaway's works are usually more on the solid than flashy end of the spectrum, the chestnut colt let it be known April 28 he was feeling himself in advance of his expected start in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).
Valadorna followed a career-low finish by posting an all-time best result April 20, when she inched clear in the final stages of the $100,000 Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) at Keeneland to earn her first graded stakes win.
Entourage Stable's Pink Lloyd swept a trio of awards April 19 at The Jockey Club of Canada's 43rd annual Sovereign Awards ceremony, topped by a Horse of the Year trophy.
With the first grade 1 test for turf females of 2018 slated to take place this weekend, it is fitting the two trainers who have wielded the division's strongest hands in recent years have entrants none would be shocked to see prevail.
Champion Good Magic and his caretakers were in good order April 8, one day after his vindicating, 1 1/2-length victory in the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland.
As the Road to the Kentucky Derby heats up, each week we will take a look at three things to watch from the 3-year-old division as they head into the weekend's respective prep races.
In the aftermath of World Approval's defeat in the March 10 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T), trainer Mark Casse said he hasn't seen the same energy from the champion gelding and is debating whether to start him in the Maker's 46 Mile (G1T).
Returning from a five-month layoff in a grade 1 stakes is not a typical move for most horses, yet trainer Mark Casse has no qualms about the spot he chose for Awesome Slew's 5-year-old debut.
Good Magic heads into the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) with 2-1 morning-line favoritism and more on the line than just needing to add to his 34 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Oddsmaker Mike Battaglia has made John Oxley's Ride a Comet and Hazit, who races for Eclipse Thoroughbreds and Coolmore partners, 5-1 co-favorites on the morning line for the $200,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) March 17 at Turfway Park.
When Om starts in the $400,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita March 10, trainer Dan Hendricks won't be mad if his charge once again makes a name for himself by taking down a champion.
For the first time in his young career, Flameaway won't have to adjust to new scenery for his next significant test, as he returns to Tampa Bay Downs March 10 for a start in the $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2).
Graded stakes winner Holding Gold will head overseas for a start in the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint sponsored by Azizi Developments (G1), while Pavel is set to start in the $10 million Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1).
Four racehorses, three jockeys and three trainers account for the 10 finalists selected to the National Museum of Racing’s 2018 Hall of Fame ballot.
Road to Victory, the only horse to defeat graded stakes winner Monomoy Girl in that one's five starts, has resumed training in Ocala after missing a couple weeks with an injury discovered following her triumph in the 2017 Golden Rod Stakes (G2).
World Approval, 2017 champion turf male, will not head to Dubai to compete in the March 31 Dubai Turf sponsored by DP World (G1) but will stay in the U.S. and be pointed to grade 1 stakes going a mile, trainer Mark Casse said Feb. 12.
After they both just missed victory in their most recent starts, Wonder Gadot and Monomoy Girl will each try to take care of business in the $200,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) Feb. 17 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
Trainer Mark Casse said Feb. 11 that Flameaway, the record-setting Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) winner, will return for the $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) March 10.
After he rated well back off the early pacesetters in third, World Approval launched his trademark bid on the far turn then fended off stubborn 12-1 shot Forge in the lane to win the 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Stakes (G3T) by half-length.
Flameaway forced his way into the classic conversation when he fought back after being headed by Catholic Boy at the eighth pole to earn a half-length victory in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3).
For her 6-year-old debut in the Feb. 10 Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes (G3T), Dona Bruja (ARG) showed up with a new dimension to her game, which yielded some sufficient swagger in her step.
John Oxley's grade 1-winning homebred Dream Dancing, beaten as the favorite in her 4-year-old debut last month, seeks a return to her winning ways in the $150,000 Suwannee River Stakes (G3T) Feb. 10 at Gulfstream Park.
Champion turf male World Approval will make his 2018 debut at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 10, as trainer Mark Casse will use the $175,000 Tampa Bay Stakes (G3T) as a prep for the $6,000,000 Dubai Turf sponsored by DP World (G1) March 31 at Meydan.
As grade 1 winner La Coronel readies for her 4-year-old debut in the Feb. 10 Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes (G3T) at Tampa Bay Downs, Mark Casse again is putting some ambitious hopes on her dark bay shoulders.
After announcing last October plans to go out on his own after more than a decade as the right-hand man of Casse Racing, Norman Casse will saddle his first starter as a head trainer Wednesday, when he sends out Rate of Return at Gulfstream Park.
Champion World Approval signaled his readiness when he turned in an easy half-mile breeze over the turf at Palm Meadows Training Center, his final piece of work before his expected seasonal debut in the Feb. 10 Tampa Bay Stakes (G3T).
Live Oak Plantation’s homebred World Approval was already a grade 1 winner when the calendar turned, courtesy of his 2016 United Nations Stakes (G1T) score—and trainer Mark Casse had a plan.
A 3-year-old daughter of War Front owned by Gary Barber and John Oxley, Win the War won the Glorious Song Stakes by 11 1/4 lengths last time out and will try dirt for the first time in the $200,000 Santa Ynez Stakes (G2) Jan. 7 at Santa Anita Park.
Gary Barber's multiple graded stakes-winning filly Wonder Gadot could make her next start against colts in the $200,000 Lecomte Stakes (G3) Jan. 13 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
The last opportunity to win a grade 1 against 3-year-old competition has attracted a talented group of invading fillies from the East to Santa Anita Park for the $300,000 American Oaks (G1T) Dec. 30.
Stonestreet Stables' homebred Valadorna coasted home an easy winner in the $50,000 Tiffany Lass Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Dec. 26. The win was the first stakes victory for the 3-year-old daughter of Curlin, who is grade 1-placed.
Leavem in Malibu scored in the Valedictory Stakes (G3) for Mark Casse, who finished second in the Woodbine trainer standings for the first time in over a decade as Norm McKnight took the lead with a five-win performance Dec. 10.
Sixth last out after being checked in the stretch of the 14 Hands Winery Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), Gary Barber's Wonder Gadot found herself back in the winner's circle after the Demoiselle Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack Dec. 2.
Win the War waited patiently to make her move around fading favorite Grace and Dignity, who set a quick early pace, and drew off to a 11 1/4-length win in the $100,000 Glorious Song Stakes at Woodbine.
Moonshine Memories not only broke her maiden at Del Mar, but she's also won a grade 1 over the track, where she held off Piedi Bianchi in the Sept. 2 Del Mar Debutante Stakes.
What had been an abstract idea now has reality bearing down upon it as, effective in the spring of 2018, Norman Casse will officially depart as assistant trainer to his father and hang his own shingle, starting in his home state.
On Oct. 6, Mark Casse-trained Heavenly Love won the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) for Debby Oxley. Nineteen days later, Casse signed the sales ticket on the Malibu Moon filly's half brother for $270,000 on behalf of Kentucky owner Tracy Farmer.
Acting on behalf of a partnership group, trainer Mark Casse went to $700,000 to buy a Medaglia d'Oro colt early during the Oct. 25 penultimate session of the Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale, becoming the top-priced individual at the sale.
The Oct. 24 second session of the Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale produced a breakout horse with a Violence colt bought by John C. Oxley for $500,000, highest price for the auction since 2013.
For the second time this month, trainer Mark Casse signed for a Violence yearling at a hefty price on behalf of John C. Oxley, going to $500,000 for a colt during the Oct. 24 second session of the Fasig-Tipton October sale.
There is no doubt the greatness was there with Classic Empire. And there is no doubt it was confronted by enough obstacles to prevent it from fully surfacing. But it did on occasion manage to trickle out, to show the world what might have been.
