Casse trio targets Derby, Oaks after Oaklawn prep finales

Silent Tactic, Counting Stars and Search Party will remain at Oaklawn for two to three weeks before shipping to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, according to Caden Arthur, who oversees Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse's Oaklawn division.

"They're doing really good here, training really good over this track," Arthur said. "So, we'll have an easy week and then start training on them and getting ready for the Oaks and the Derby with all of them."

Arthur said the plan calls for each horse to have one workout at Oaklawn and one at Churchill Downs before their respective races.

Silent Tactic finished second behind Renegade in Saturday's Grade 1, $1.5 million Arkansas Derby. He held a half-length lead in midstretch before Renegade swept past in the final furlong to win by four lengths.

"Pletcher's horse is an unbelievable horse," Arthur said. "We knew he was going to come. We were just trying to hold him off and we couldn't. We got the jump on him down the backside and the turn, but it's OK. We'll take second. We got the points and he looks good today. We'll move on to the first Saturday in May, hopefully."

Silent Tactic was the lone horse to compete in all four of Oaklawn's Kentucky Derby qualifying races, finishing second behind stablemate Strategic Risk in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 3, winning the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 6 and running second in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) March 1 and the Arkansas Derby. He ranks fifth on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 100 points.

Counting Stars and Search Party finished 1-2, respectively, in Friday's $1 million Fantasy Stakes (G2), Oaklawn's third and final Kentucky Oaks qualifying race. The Kentucky Oaks is the country's biggest race for 3-year-old fillies.