Casse's Breeders' Cup hopefuls exercise at Churchill Downs

Friday morning was a busy one for the Mark Casse barn as a quintet of the trainer’s Breeders’ Cup aspirants made their final serious preparations for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita on Nov. 4-5.

Champion Turf Mare Tepin worked a half-mile in :49 under regular rider Julien Leparoux in preparation for a defense of her title in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile (Grade I). Churchill Downs clockers caught the daughter of Bernstein in fractions of :12.20 and :24.60 before galloping out in 1:02 and 1:16.60.

John C. Oxley’s La Coronel, winner of Keeneland’s Jessamine (GIII), went a half-mile in :47.80 under Florent Geroux for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GI) and recorded splits of :12.20 and :24 before galloping out in 1:00.40 and 1:14.80.

Casse’s 2-year-old colts Classic Empire and Keep Quiet (Fr), who are pointing for respective starts in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) and the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (GI), worked a half-mile together in :50. They recorded splits of :12.80 and :25 and galloped out in 1:03 and 1:16.40. The former worked under Leparoux, while the latter worked under Geroux.

Following the renovation break, Casse sent out Live Oak Plantation’s Victory to Victory, who won the Natalma (GI) at Woodbine in her last start and is targeting the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. The daughter of Exchange Rate breezed a half-mile in :48.40 and recorded fractions of :24 and :36 and galloped out in 1:01.20 under Leparoux.

“It was a very exciting day. It’s an awesome experience to have these types of horses and then prepare so many horses for the Breeders’ Cup so it was a pretty important day,” said Norman Casse, son assistant to father Mark. “Tepin did her typical thing. She’s become much more manageable as she’s gotten older. We were just out there looking for a maintenance-type work. It was a pretty good work for her.”

Tepin put together a stellar 5-year-old campaign with six consecutive victories this year punching a pair of victories at Tampa Bay Downs this winter in the Feb. 12 Endeavour (GIII) and the March 13 Hillsborough (GII). These wins were followed by decisive wins in the April 16 Jenny Wiley (GI) at Keeneland and May 7 Churchill Downs Distaff Turf Mile (GII). She then took her talents overseas to Royal Ascot where she defeated some of the world’s top milers in the Queen Anne (Group 1) before her most recent win in the Woodbine Mile (GI) on Sept. 17. The Eclipse Award-winning mare’s win streak was snapped last time out when she finished second in the Shadwell Turf Mile (GI) at Keeneland on Oct. 8 behind front-running Photo Call.

It is undecided whether or not she stays in training following the Breeders’ Cup.

“Nobody has actually discussed that,” Casse said. “I don’t think there’s any time table or any plans for Tepin right now after the Breeders’ Cup. We’re just going race by race and we’re focused on trying to repeat as Breeders’ Cup champion.”

Casse expressed excitement in Juvenile Fillies Turf contender La Coronel, who reminds the assistant trainer of Tepin.

“La Coronel actually reminds me of her and the way that she used to be,” Casse said. “She’s kind of headstrong and always on the bridle. I really hold her in high regard. If you look at her she’s similar in a lot of ways. We started off on the dirt because she was showing so much talent on the dirt that we thought she was a good dirt horse and she actually kind of disappointed us a little bit and then we put her on the grass and it made her really excel. It just seems like she’s really talented and the best thing about her is that she’ll have a perfect trip. That makes a big difference in some of those races.”

Casse’s pair of 2-year-old colts will be entering the Breeders’ Cup with graded stakes victories at Keeneland under their belt. Classic Empire was an impressive three-length winner of the Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity (GI) on Oct. 8 and Keep Quiet (FR) triumphed in the Bourbon (GIII) on Oct. 9. The assistant trainer spoke highly of both horses, especially Classic Empire, who he described as “one of the most intelligent horses I’ve been around.”

“We brought out Classic Empire and Keep Quiet together,” Casse said. “They went off a little slower than we would have liked, but they finished strong and galloped out great with their last eighth of a mile in 1:13 and change for three-quarters so I thought they worked really well. Victory to Victory worked after the break and I think she’s kind of coming in under the radar a little bit. She’s a very, very talented horse.

“I think with the 2-year-olds, it’s more talent than maturity. The boys are very intelligent. Classic Empire is very, very mature but the two fillies are kind of flighty. They’re a little more difficult to manage than the colts so it’s not necessarily about the maturity its more about where they are talent-wise and where they are physically. With that being said, they’ve all run at racetracks like Saratoga or Keeneland that simulate the Breeders’ Cup atmosphere and they’ll be able to handle themselves.”

The 2-year-olds in the Casse barn are always highly regarded year-by-year, but Casse has placed an even higher level of confidence in this class of juveniles.

“I feel like this is a little bit different,” Casse said. “We always have some good 2-year-olds and there are some expectations going into next year. This time the expectations are a little higher. Classic Empire has shown that he may be at the top of his class. But we also have horses like Keep Quiet, Speedmeister and Thirstforlife that if they keep improving can be something special, too. We’ll have to keep our fingers crossed and move forward.”

Source: Churchill Downs