Casse Stars Work Out at Saratoga

Mark Casse worked several of his stars July 22 at Saratoga Race Course, as Tepin and World Approval worked on the turf course, and Noble Bird went a sharp half-mile on the main track.

 

Champion turf female Tepin went a typically easy four furlongs in :50.42, galloping out to five furlongs in 1:04 beneath regular rider Julien Leparoux. Casse reported that Tepin, who won the Queen Anne Stakes (Eng-I) at Royal Ascot to stretch her stakes-winning streak to seven, will take on males once again in the $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap (gr. IT) Aug. 13.

 

"The plan is to run Tepin in the Fourstardave and Catch a Glimpse in the Lake Placid (gr. IIT)," Casse said. "I was kind of struggling with how we were going to get Tepin to the Woodbine Mile (Can-I)."

 

Catch a Glimpse, who like Tepin is undefeated in five starts this year after her front-running triumph in Belmont Oaks Invitational (gr. IT), is being pointed to the $300,000 Lake Placid Aug. 21.

 

"The only thing that would keep me from running Catch a Glimpse here is how she handles the crowd," Casse said. "This is a very unique place, because the crowd gets so close to you, and some horses can't handle it. She's not like Tepin. Tepin doesn't care about anything."

 

Moments after Tepin worked, United Nations (gr. IT) winner World Approval turned in a half-mile workout under Florent Geroux in :48.72 , the fastest of 25 turf workouts at the distance. The gray gelding galloped out to five furlongs in 1:01.

"That was a big work for him," Casse noted. "Florent said he's a funny kind of horse to ride—the faster he goes, the lower his head gets. He'll run in the Arlington Million (gr. IT) if all goes well, but if we decide to miss that race, he could go in the Sword Dancer (gr. IT, Aug. 27). His new strategy, staying close to the pace, has made him more effective. He has a quick turn of speed."

 

Over on the main track, Noble Bird breezed four furlongs in :47.66, the second-fastest of 47 works at the distance, behind the Casse-trained Diva Express, who went in :47.31.

The move had Casse thinking big with the 5-year-old horse, who was scratched from the Suburban (gr. II) July 9.

"That was as good as I've ever seen Noble Bird work this morning," Casse said. "He went :47, and looking at him, I thought he went in :50, so he may have earned himself a ticket to the Whitney (gr. I, Aug. 6). We'll see how he comes out of it. He just wasn't himself the morning of the Suburban. He's a very aggressive horse and we just couldn't get him to go, but when the real Noble Bird shows up, he can run with anyone"