Kentucky Derby 2018 Daily: Flameaway and co. boost Casse

Welcome to Horse Racing Nation’s Kentucky Derby Daily — proudly sponsored by NYRA Bets — which will each day leading up to the May 5 race at Churchill Downs detail all the news and notes related to contenders in one convenient space.

This time last month, Mark Casse wondered whether he’d get a horse to the 2018 Kentucky Derby. Now, it’s logical to wonder just how many the trainer could saddle on the first Saturday in May.

The barn’s charge toward Triple Crown season took a turn for the better this week, with Flameaway’s front-running victory in the Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes so far Casse’s signature win on the trail.

While the colt wasn’t nominated early for the Triple Crown, Casse said connections will add him before the late deadline of March 19. And after a Sunday morning conversation with owner John Oxley, a run at the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby on March 10 is up next for Flameaway.

“Anytime you can have a forward position, as long as your horse is comfortable doing it, it’s always good,” Casse said. “Does he have to be on the lead? No, but he’s going to be pretty close to it.

“…If you look at his breeding, he’s bred to run as far as they write races.”

To add, Casse-trained Telekinesis, whose debut was delayed due to a paddock incident last month, debuted Friday a 3 1/4 winner at Fair Grounds. Then on Saturday, He Takes Charge broke his maiden going 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream Park. Mississippi was also a late-running second last weekend in allowance company.

Casse said Mississippi will relish more distance, and he remains high on Telekinesis, a $470,000 purchase. The trainer called He Takes Charge a “sleeper” in the 3-year-old division, adding that “he did everything wrong: made the lead, pulled himself up and still won. He’s a horse that will run the farther the better.

“It’s interesting, because I’ve always said it’s not what you do early on. It’s more about who’s good in March, April and May, especially with the points system. You only really have to run well in the latter races to make it to the big dance. Right now, it seems like we’re sitting with a pretty nice hand.”

The origins of Kanthaka

Kanthaka, a stakes-winning horse in 2018, also lived 2,500 years ago. Bear with us on this one…

After the Jimmy Creed colt’s come-from-behind victory in the Grade 2, $200,000 San Vicente Stakes, West Point Thoroughbreds partner John Haines shared the story behind the name in the winner’s circle.

“He was Siddhartha’s horse, and Siddhartha was a very wealthy Indian prince,” Haines said. “He left that noble estate and became a monk, and became Buddha. This was Buddha’s horse.”

That all checks out after some research by the Derby Daily.

Notably, the original Kanthaka was a white horse, while the San Vicente winner is a chestnut. When Siddhartha decided to renounce his wealthy lifestyle shielded from the real world, he journeyed out on Kanthaka.

But eventually, Siddhartha decided to dismount his horse and continue on foot. Kanthaka died of a broken heart, only to be reincarnated as a follower of Buddha seen as an equal to his human counterparts.

On the big horses

Trainer Chad Brown reported after Good Magic’s Saturday breeze, timed at 1:01.40 for five furlongs, that the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile remains on target for the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth set for March 3 at Gulfstream Park.

A son of Curlin, Good Magic drilled for the first time in company, finishing even with a stakes-caliber horse in Economic model.

“I just love the way he’s coming around,” Brown said in an interview with XBTV. “We gave him a little freshening over the early parts of the winter just to try to put some weight on him and give him a much-deserved break, just because I felt it was the right thing for us to do. But when you get him back, you’re always wondering, ‘Did I give him too much time off? Is he going to get ready quick enough?’

“This horse has a lot of fitness left in him from last year. Every time I’ve worked him, it’s pretty much been on a hold the whole way.”

Following Bolt d’Oro’s most recent bit of work, a half mile Thursday in 47.80 seconds, owner and trainer Mick Ruis reported to XBTV that “we’re happy where he is right now.”

The runner-up to Good Magic in voting for champion 2-year-old, Bolt d’Oro is training toward a season debut in Santa Anita Park’s Grade 2, $400,000 San Felipe Stakes on March 10. Ruis detailed an unconventional practice used to condition the son of Medaglia d’Oro, taking him to the training track before a breeze.

“We just want to warm up him really good,” Ruis said. “One of the other trainers said Mr. (Charlie) Wittingham, that’s what he would do to his horses. He would take them on the training track, so as soon as the main track would open, they’d would go on a clean track and then take them that way. It seems to be working.”

Derby links

• Gene McLean, a new HRN partner who authors The Pressbox for the Louisville Thoroughbred Sociecty, ran down his winners, losers and in-betweeners in a Sunday column. It also included some news: Dak Attack is out with shin soreness similar to what kept him from racing late in his 2-year-old season.

• Pool 2 of the Derby Future Wager ends at 6 p.m. Sunday. If you’re looking to make a late bet, we’ve got the past performances. And if you’re already made your plays, you can see the current odds via Churchill Downs.

• While not technically a Derby prospect — yet — Faversham, the full brother of California Chrome, has put in strong works toward his stakes debut in the Feb. 19 California Cup Derby. That’s a race Chrome won on his way to Derby glory in 2014, though he had much more of a foundation than Faversham’s single start going into it.

The works

Analyze It — He’s just revving up for the year with a second three-furlong move Sunday in as many weeks, this one clocked at 37.75 seconds. But the Chad Brown trainee was about as impressive as any 2-year-old on turf last year and was nominated early to the Triple Crown. Will we see him on the trail?

Choo Choo — We’re expecting to see Golden Gate’s California Derby winner back on Jan. 20 again in the El Camino Real Derby, a Grade 3 race set for Saturday on synthetic. He continued tuning up for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, getting 6/8 of a mile Sunday in 1:15.20, the bullet from six workers at Golden Gate.

Impact Player — A winner of two straight with blinkers added, the Todd Pletcher trainee seems destined for a stakes start. Where, we don’t yet know. The City Zip colt has worked twice since his last victory, going a half mile in 49 seconds (3/11) Sunday at Pletcher’s Palm Beach Downs base.

Promises Fulfilled — Dale Romans is looking for a winner this year on the Derby trail after Dak Attack, Hollywood Star and Free Drop Billy have come up short. Maybe this one’s it. Third in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club last time out, he has posted three works back, most recently going 5/8 Sunday in a bullet 59.67 seconds at Gulfstream Park.

Restoring Hope — A maiden winner for Bob Baffert the trainer said is “ready for the deep end of the pool now,” he was quick to return to the work tab off that Feb. 2 score. Sunday’s drill measured a swift four furlongs in 47.60 seconds (4/101) at Santa Anita Park.

In case you missed it…

Saturday’s Derby Daily report gave an early look at the expected field for the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes, which could split into two $500,000 divisions for its Feb. 19 running at Oaklawn Park.

• Catch up with all the latest Derby news by reading past editions of HRN’s Derby Daily report.