Racing Corner - The Run for the Roses

151st Kentucky Derby; Who Do You Like?

Churchill Downs photos

The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports.

The Run for the Roses.

Horse racing's most famous race, the Kentucky Derby (G1) will run for the 151st time on Saturday, May 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY and a field of 19 will break from the gates at approximately 6:57 p.m.

Two Derby hopes, Grande and Rodriguez, were scratched this week while California based Baeza drew in from the also eligible list and will be #21 from post 19.

There is a large, local cheering section for Sandman (Tapit), the popular 3-year-old with the flashy looks (he's almost white) and exciting stretch kick. Not only is the $1.2 million 2-year-old purchase going to be second or third favourite in the 1 1/4 mile classic, his trainer Mark Casse is a Woodbine alum, a 16-time Sovereign Award winner for Outstanding Trainer.

No doubt Mark's Woodbine barn staff and assistants, busy with runners here, will be glued to the television cheering for Sandman at Derby post time.

“I'm cautiously optimistic,” said Mark from Churchill Downs about Sandman's Derby chances as well as those of the filly La Cara in Friday's Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Just minutes after he made that comment, Mark was in the winner's circle earlier Friday after his trainee Nitrogen, Canada's Champion 2-Year-Old Filly of 2024, won her fourth straight stakes race, taking the Edgewood Stakes (G2) for D. J. Stable.

Ortiz will ride Sandman in the Derby for D. J. Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, St. Elias Stable and CJ Stable.

This will be Mark's eighth attempt at a Derby win, one of very few races he has not won.

“It's been much crazier this time around,” he said comparing this year's Derby journey to previous ones. “Sandman is a very popular horse. There was about 300 people watching him get his daily bath.”

It was a trip to the 1973 Derby, won by the legendary Secretariat, that hooked Mark to follow his father Norman in the horse racing business. Mark's  took out his trainer's license at the young age of 17, taking over his father's successful stable and won his first race with his first starter, Joe's Coming, at Keeneland in 1979. He rose to the top of the ranks in Kentucky, winning titles at Turfway Park and Churchill Downs.

Mark has stabled and raced horses at Woodbine since the early 1990s. He lived in Kleinburg when he began filling the entries with horses from Harry Mangurian's Mockingbird Farm, based in Florida. Initially, the Woodbine stable raced under Mark's then-wife Kathy Patton Casse but in 1998, Mark saddled his first Woodbine starter, the handsome colt Copelan's Pache. He won.

It has been onwards and upwards for Mark since then. He owns Casse Training Centre in Ocala with his wife of 20 years Tina, whom he credits as being the biggest influence and supporert on his career next to his father.

For years his Woodbine stable has been integral in filling races and luring well bred horses and high profile owners to Ontario. In 2024 the barn won 33 stakes races, a record.

And Mark is always quick to express his love for Woodbine. “The best place to train a horse,” he always says.

And should Sandman pull off a Derby win, you can be sure the Ontario racing community will be on its feet.

“I feel about coming into the Derby with Sandman. We got him in March of last year and it was apparent early on he was a very good horse. It would be unbelievable if he won.”   - JM

Jen's Picks

There is a the chance that the track will be sloppy for the 151st Derby on Saturday, which will be an unknown type of track for the majority of the Derby starters.

17 – Sandman, who starts from post 15, is by the great stallion Tapit who is due to sire his first Derby winner. Sandman will benefit the most from a predicted hot, early pace.

8 – Journalism is the deserving favourite based on fast wins in California. He is a son of top mud sire Curlin.

19 – Chunk of Gold is a longshot pick for your trifectas. He has super mud breeding and improving form.

21 – Baeza draws in from the also eligible list and his half brother Mage won the Derby two years ago.

The Field

Churchill Downs, May 3, race 12, post time 6:57 p.m.

Kentucky Derby Field

# - Post  Horse Odds Jockey Trainer

1 1 Citizen Bull 20-1 Martin Garcia Bob Baffert

2 2 Neoequos 30-1 Flavien Prat Saffie Joseph Jr.

3 3 Final Gambit 30-1 Luan Machado Brad Cox

4 Rodriguez 12-1 Mike Smith Bob Baffert

5 4 American Promise 30-1 Nik Juarez Wayne Lukas

6 5 Admire Daytona (JPN) 30-1 Christophe Lemaire Yukihioro Kato

7 6 Luxor Cafe 15-1 Joao Moreira Noriyuki Hori

8 7 Journalism 3-1 Umberto Rispoli Michael McCarthy

9 8 Burnham Square 12-1 Brian Hernandez, Jr. Ian Wilkes

10 Grande 20-1 John Velazquez Todd Pletcher

11 9 Flying Mohawk 30-1 Joe Ramos Whit Beckman

12 10 East Avenue 20-1 Manny Franco Brendan P. Walsh

13 11 Publisher 20-1 Irad Ortiz, Jr. Steve Asmussen

14 12 Tiztastic 20-1 Joel Rosario Steve Asmussen

15 13 Render Judgment 30-1 Julien Leparoux Kenny McPeek

16 14 Coal Battle 30-1 Juan Vargas Lonnie Briley

17 15 Sandman 6-1 Jose Ortiz Mark Casse

18 16 Sovereignty 5-1 Junior Alvarado Bill Mott

19 17 Chunk of Gold 30-1 Jareth Loveberry Ethan West

20 18 Owen Almighty 30-1 Javier Castellano Brian Lynch

21 19 Baeza 12-1 Flavien Prat John Shirreffs