Owner Farmer Back in Belmont Stakes With Sir Winston

Like any line of work, word of mouth can generate a new client or two for a trainer.

Mark Casse believes his longtime owners John and Debby Oxley put in a good word for him with Tracy Farmer when the latter was looking for a trainer.

"The Farmers are very good friends with the Oxleys, and so over the years I think Mr. Oxley has kind of encouraged Tracy, 'Maybe give Mark a horse or two to train.' But nothing ever happened," Casse said. "Then one day we were talking, and he said, 'If you see anything you like, I'll probably buy it.' So we bought a few horses, and then he said he had a few homebreds that he'd like to send me, and I said, 'OK, well, I'd love to have them,' and that's where Sir Winston came from."

On June 8, Casse will saddle Farmer's Sir Winston in the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) at Belmont Park. It will be Farmer's third starter in the 1 1/2-mile classic.

In 2004, Farmer's Royal Assault placed third in the Belmont, and the following year Indy Storm finished fourth.

Sir Winston enters off a fast-closing runner-up finish in the May 11 Peter Pan Stakes (G3) at Belmont. In that race, he made up nearly nine lengths in a final three furlongs run in :36.55.

"He has kind of a unique style," Farmer said of Sir Winston's preference to get going late. "It will be up to the jockey to decide the right time to ask him, which in a 1 1/2-mile race is difficult to say."

Over the years, Farmer enjoyed success with trainer Nick Zito with such standouts as 2000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winner Albert the Great and 2008 Whitney Handicap (G1) winner Commentator, as well as multiple graded stakes winners Sun King and Sir Shackleton . Farmer also was co-owner of 1997 champion older mare Hidden Lake, trained by John Kimmel.

While Sir Winston figures to be a longshot in the Belmont, his breeding suggests the distance will be to his liking. He's a son of Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Awesome Again  and the first foal to race out of La Gran Bailadora, a daughter of Belmont winner Afleet Alex . La Gran Bailadora is out of Affirmed Dancer, a daughter of Triple Crown winner Affirmed. Farmer is looking for his first graded stakes win since La Gran Bailadora won the 2011 Distorted Humor Kentucky Cup Distaff Stakes (G3) at Turfway Park.

After Sir Winston was a $50,000 RNA at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Denali Stud, Farmer decided to race the colt, whom he said has been good from the start.

Farmer and Casse got a good early start to the weekend when Perfect Alibi earned a stakes placing in the June 6 Astoria Stakes at Belmont. In the mornings, Sir Winston appears to be thriving on the sandy Belmont surface.