Mark Casse

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has announced the members of its Horsemen's Advisory Group, who were selected from among the more than 250 applications received from hands-on racing participants from across the country. Starting in November, the Advisory Group will convene on a monthly basis to provide feedback to the Authority's executive team and Standing Committees on the implementation and evolution of HISA's Racetrack Safety and Anti-Doping and Medication Control regulations. Members will serve between 1-2-year terms to stagger changes in the composition of the group and to...

A Mitole colt and a The Factor filly shared top billing during the select session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's October Yearling Sale, with both fetching $210,000 from the Green family's D. J. Stable. In total, 123 head changed hands for gross receipts of $6,018,000. The average was $48,927 (up 12.1% from $43,644 for the corresponding session in 2021) and median was $40,000 (up 25% from $32,000 last year). The RNA rate was 34.2% as of this writing, but that figure does not include post-sale transactions. D. J. Stable...

D.J. Stable's Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) cleared off and kept finding late to take Keeneland's "Win and You're In" GI Darley Alcibiades S. as the tepid 4-1 favorite. An impressive debut winner at Churchill Downs in June, the $275,000 KEESEP yearling dominated that venue's early season juvenile fillies centerpiece--the July 4 Debutante S.--before heading north to Saratoga. She was favored at 7-5 in the GI Spinaway S. on the Spa's closing weekend, but settled for second behind longshot Leave No Trace (Outwork), who returned to be third in last week's...

GISW Gretzky the Great (Nyquist) has been retired and will stand the upcoming breeding season at Ocala Stud, the farm announced today. Campaigned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber and trained by Mark Casse, Gretzky the Great took Woodbine's GI Summer S. as a 2-year-old. A $295,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling purchase, Gretzky the Great broke his maiden in his second career start at Woodbine. He then took the Soaring Free S. before his win in the GI Summer S., ending his season with a sixth-place run in the...

Just four days after his son Mounsieur Coco took the Proud Man S. over the Gulfstream all-weather, Boppy O (Bolt d'Oro) became the first graded-stakes winner for his freshman sire (by Medaglia d'Oro) and led home a top-three sweep for first-crop stallions when causing a 23-1 upset in Wednesday's GIII With Anticipation S. at Saratoga. Ridden for some speed by Dylan Davis while making his first venture on the grass and over a distance of ground, the $190,000 Keeneland September yearling--a half-brother to last year's GII Best Pal S. hero...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Though their names are similar and they have trainer Mark Casse in common, Wonder Gadot (Medaglia d'Oro) and Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) are not related, except, possibly, in ability. Wonder Gadot, a two-time champion and 2018 Horse of the Year in Canada, is named for the Israeli actress, Gal Gadot, who gained international attention in the 2017 film "Wonder Woman." Wonder Wheel, the unbeaten filly who will run in the GI Spinaway S. Sunday, is named for the very famous 102-year-old, 150-foot Ferris wheel at Coney...

Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas is the newest addition to the MyRacehorse cast of trainers, as he will condition a yearling colt by Arrogate out of well-bred stakes-placed runner and producer Smart Shopping (Smart Strike) for the micro-share syndication company. The colt was purchased for $300,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale as hip 79. "Adding a world-class name such as D. Wayne Lukas to MyRacehorse is an honor," MyRacehorse CEO Michael Behrens said. "Teaming up to provide our owners with the opportunity to say their horse is trained by...

Woodbine is a track of two tales: history and innovation. The home of the historic Queen's Plate--which will be run for the 163rd time Sunday thus making it the longest continuously run race in North America--has been undergoing renovations that on a conceptual level, might border on the fantastical. That is, until it is seen in person. At the forefront of structural renewal, Woodbine, which covers 684-acres of prime real estate in the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke, currently stands against a backdrop of development that would make most other racing...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-ELP, $60K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1m, 4:28 p.m. A $535,000 KEESEP yearling purchase, SOLO ALBUM (Curlin) debuts Friday out of the Mark Casse barn for owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Gary Barber. Out of GISP Summer Solo (Arch), who has already produced three winners from as many to race, Solo Album is a half-sister to SW & GSP Maedean (Tapit), who herself brought $500,000 from Ever Union Shokai at last year's Keeneland November Sale while carrying to Nyquist. Her dam is a half-sister to a...

X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, and SF Racing LLC's Moira (Ghostzapper) was listed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite during Wednesday morning's post position Queen's Plate draw, held at Woodbine's newly-opened Stella Artois Terrace. In addition to the Woodbine Oaks winner, who will exit gate 8 with regular pilot Rafael Hernandez aboard, a total of 10 colts have signed on for Sunday's $1-million 10-furlong Classic, the first jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown. "Typically, when you win the Oaks, depending on how impressive they are doing it, you always have to...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 5th-SAR, $105K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, 3:21 p.m. EDT D J Stable's RENEGADE REBEL (Nyquist) makes her career bow in this spot for trainer Mark Casse. Privately purchased from Shadwell by Barry Eisaman, the gray summoned $700,000 from OBS April after breezing in :10 flat. Her second dam is MG1SW Sierra Madre (Fr) (Baillamont), who is also responsible for European champion Aljabr (Storm Cat). Wayne Catalano unveils Coffeepot Stables homebred Mirus (Medaglia d'Oro). The dark bay is out of MGSW & GISP Farrell (Malibu Moon),...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - By far, the most enthusiastic applause during the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame induction ceremony Friday morning was for a video clip of race that everyone in the audience likely had seen many times. Beholder's (Henny Hughes) career-capping victory by a nose over the previously unbeaten champion Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro) in the 2016 GI Breeder's Cup Distaff was nearly as gripping on the big screen at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion as it was live at Santa Anita Park. For sheer drama it ranks with...