Norm Casse to Have First BC Starter in Belle Laura

The experience in itself is one Norm Casse has lived and breathed many times over.

He has prepared runners in his care for their respective Breeders' Cup starts. He's put the saddle on them, legged up the riders, then  trekked to his viewing spot of choice to see whether the talent he cultivated could produce a journey to the winner's circle. There are nerves involved any time a horseman sends one of his own into competition, but, as far the circus that comes with big-stage moments, it's not an act when the 35-year-old Louisville native bears the demeanor of one who has been there before.

He will go through the above motions again Nov. 2, leading over GU Racing Stable's Belle Laura for her scheduled start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) at Churchill Downs. There will be one new twist added to the whole equation, however—a stomach flip of anticipation he is happy to be welcoming well ahead of schedule.

Less than a year after stepping away from his role as lead assistant to his father, trainer Mark Casse, and opening his own public stable, Norm Casse is poised to check off the milestone of having his first Breeders' Cup starter, at his home base of operations, no less. 

It is a fantasy-type scenario that became tangible when the daughter of Mucho Macho Man  finished a fast-closing third in the Oct. 10 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland. For her ultra-goal-oriented conditioner, it signals how high the standards he set for his solo venture are clearing the initial bar.

It was this time last year when Norm Casse officially announced plans to helm his own shedrow after more than 10 years of helping push his father's operation into the upper echelon of North American-based programs. To anyone paying attention to his day-to-day handlings of such former Casse Racing stars as two-time Eclipse Award winner Tepin and juvenile champion Classic Empire , it was a decision based around when, not if, he was finally going to stretch his wings on his own name.

Since saddling his first starter in February and earning his first win in May, the baby steps of getting his red and black colors off the ground have settled into an ever-lengthening stride. He figured if he could win at least 10 races and get a stakes starter under his belt, he could tab his first 12 months a success. As of Oct. 28, he was winning at a 20% clip with 14 victors from 69 starters, not to mention the snazzy Breeders' Cup saddle towel in his possession.

"I'm just grateful for the opportunities that I've had and just proud to be here," Norm Casse said. "Going into it, you kind of think in the back of your mind how awesome it would be to have your first Breeders' Cup starter at Churchill Downs, at your home which means so much to you, but I never in a million years thought I would be here already. Just proud to be here.

"I thought I set some realistic goals. … so now we're past the goals that we've set. Everything else is basically playing on house money right now."

Casse has built his barn up to where he has around 30 horses based in Kentucky and has shown a deft hand in getting his juvenile runners off to promising starts. After finishing fifth in her career debut at Ellis Park Aug. 10, Belle Laura has certainly improved in that quick fashion that babies can.

Breaking from post 9 in a field of 10, the bay filly was able to roll to a 4 1/2-length maiden win going one mile on the turf over the Churchill Downs course Sept. 20. It was enough of a move forward to get the younger Casse to put her in the Jessamine Stakes, where she overcame the far outside in the 13-horse field to close with a rush that just missed place honors by a neck at odds of 48-1.

"Honestly, I thought we'd hit the board," Norm Casse said of the Jessamine Stakes. "She had trained so well, and the filly has had a lot of bad luck. Every time she's ran, she's had terrible post positions. I still don't understand how she won her maiden race, because she was 4-5 wide around both turns and was running really green and spotty and still drew off from the field.

"After that race, she actually matured mentally and started training a little more forwardly, and her last work before the Jessamine, I was like, 'Wow, we have a legit chance to win this race.' Of course, we had a terrible post with her again, and it forced our hand to do some things we didn't want to do, which was drop all the way back and circle the field, but she ran her race. She rewarded our confidence."

If you missed using Belle Laura at her long odds in the Jessamine, she stands to offer another healthy price in what looks to be another quality edition of the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

In a stop-me-if-you've-heard-this-one storyline, two-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown is seeking his fifth win in the race and is set to have one of the biggest favorites on the Breeders' Cup card in Newspaperofrecord, winner of the Sept. 30 Miss Grillo Stakes (G2T) by 6 1/2 lengths. Jessamine Stakes victress Concrete Rose has also shown beyond-her-years ability in her two victories from as many starts and was three lengths clear of her nearest rival in the Keeneland test.

As Norm Casse will attest, expectations have a funny way of not sticking to the script. He didn't think he would ascend to this base camp professionally quite this soon, but he certainly knows how to breathe easy in the high, thin air.

"Believe it or not, I'm not really nervous going into this thing because I've prepared this horse the same way I helped prepare all of dad's horses. So that part's over," Norm Casse said. "I would just love for her to have a fair shot at one of these things. I love the fact that she's already won at Churchill. We already know that she likes it. Churchill is her home, and she's a 2-year-old getting good at the right time. I feel like she's got a really legit chance."