Casse Holds Strong Breeders' Cup Hand

Conditioner Mark Casse has six good chances–spread across four races–to take home his first ever Breeders' Cup trophy when the championship races are held at Keeneland Oct. 30-31. The closest he has ever been to Breeders' Cup glory came with runner-up efforts by Laugh Track (Distorted Humor) in the 2013 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint and Sealy Hill (Point Given) in the 2008 GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

The only non-juvenile in Casse's sextet of Breeders' Cup contenders is Robert Masterson's Tepin (Bernstein). The 4-year-old was last seen romping to victory in Keeneland's GI First Lady S. (Video) and is being pointed at the GI Breeders' Cup Mile in Lexington Oct. 31.

“She came out of the [First Lady] very well,” Casse told the TDN Tuesday afternoon. “She is at Churchill and is going to breeze Friday or Saturday, depending on weather. She spent most of her career at Churchill and she enjoys that racetrack, so we won't move her over to Keeneland until they make us.”

Winner of the GII Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. and the one-mile GI Longines Just a Game S. earlier this term, Tepin finished a close second in both the 1 1/8-mile GI Diana S. July 25 and 1 1/16 GII Ketel One Ballston Spa S. Aug. 29 prior to her victory in the First Lady. The bay will be facing males for the first time in the Breeders' Cup in order to keep her at what Casse feels is her preferred distance of a mile.

“It's a tall task,” Casse said about facing males. “We have to look at it as we face males or run at a distance that is not her preferred distance [in the 1 3/16-mile F/M Turf]. At this point in time, we feel the mile is better for her. I think her last performance showed she could run with the big guns.”

The conditioner added, “Obviously we also just don't know how Tepin can stack up against the Europeans.”

Team Casse will be represented by another member of the fairer sex in Gary Barber, James Michael Ambler and Windways Farm's Catch a Glimpse (City Zip), who will make her next start in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Oct. 30.

“She's at Keeneland,” Casse offered. “We were hoping to breeze her [Tuesday] morning on the turf, but turf training was canceled and now it appears that it is not going to be [back on] until next Sunday. If the track conditions are good, she is going to breeze [Wednesday] on the dirt at Keeneland.”

Fifth on debut after a wide trip in a sloppy off-the-turfer at Saratoga July 30, Catch a Glimpse wired the field next out to earn her diploma in a seven-panel turf allowance at Woodbine Aug. 22. The chestnut secured her spot in the gate for the Breeders' Cup with a front-running five-length victory over “TDN Rising Star” and subsequent GIII Mazarine S. winner Gamble's Ghost (Ghostzapper) in Woodbine's GII Natalma S. Sept. 12. (Video)

“If you look at all the races run for 2-year-old fillies in North America on the turf this year, she appears to have run the best race,” Casse remarked. “I feel really good about her. I don't think you've seen the best of her. She seems to be getting better and better. Her last two races on the turf, she has won in hand and fairly easily. I'm expecting big things from her.”

Casse has a trio of contenders set to take part in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf: John Oxley's Airoforce (Colonel John), Conquest Stables's Conquest Daddyo (Scat Daddy) and Gabe Grossberg's Siding Spring (Warrior's Reward).

A $350,000 FTSAUG buy, Conquest Daddyo captured his unveiling in a six-panel test over the Woodbine synthetic July 26 and was second next out in the track-and-trip Vandal S. Aug. 15. Off at 15-1 in his turf debut in Woodbine's GII Summer S. Sept. 12, the dark bay came flying late to earn an all-expenses-paid trip to the Breeders' Cup and provide his trainer with a sweep of Woodbine's juvenile graded contests that day. (Video)

“Conquest Daddyo is at Keeneland with Catch a Glimpse,” Casse said. “He was supposed to work on the turf [Tuesday] and he didn't get to, so he is going to work on the dirt [Wednesday]. He is not a great work horse on the dirt, so he'll work [Wednesday], but it won't be anything spectacular. He is a much better horse on the grass.”

A first-out winner at Kentucky Downs Sept. 5, Airoforce captured the 1 1/16-mile GIII Bourbon S. at Keeneland next out Oct. 4. (Video) His stablemate Siding Spring, who will be ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith for the first time in the Breeders' Cup, was also a debut winner at Kentucky Downs Sept. 14 and finished third in the Bourbon.

“Siding Springs and Airoforce have been stabled at Churchill all summer long, so they went back to Churchill [after the Bourbon],” Casse commented. “They are scheduled to work this weekend, possibly Friday depending on the weather. Both are doing well and are on schedule.”

As for their performances in the Bourbon, the 54-year-old conditioner said, “They both handled [the track at Keeneland] really well. I was impressed by both of them. Airoforce won impressively and I thought Siding Springs was a little green and, of the two, he had the tougher trip. I think Airoforce was the best the other day, but I think given some other circumstances Siding Spring could have been closer than what he was.”

All three of Casse's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf contenders have very different running styles, which the conditioner feels will complement each other in the championship.

“I think all three colts [in the Juvenile Turf] have a big chance,” he remarked. “They all have different running styles. Airoforce is normally close to the lead. Siding Springs is more of a stalker. Conquest Daddyo usually comes from way out of it. They kind of complement each other.”

Rounding out Casse's Breeders' Cup roster is Conquest Stables's Conquest Big E (Tapit), who will contest the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Second to subsequent GI Breeders' Futurity winner Brody's Cause (Giant's Causeway) in his career bow at Churchill Sept. 11, the $700,000 KEESEP purchase donned cap and gown by a decisive 2 1/4 lengths next out in a sloppy 1 1/16-mile Keeneland test Oct. 2. (Video)

“I thought his last race was good,” Casse said. “He is a tremendous talent. I think he should get better and better and he will need to because the Breeders' Cup is going to be a tough race. There is no question Conquest Big E will have to pick up his game to be competitive, but we feel he can.”