Casse’s Trio Keeps Derby and Oaks Dreams Alive After Oaklawn Success

Mark Casse finally has the kind of spring stable that can change the story of his career, and Oaklawn Park has been the engine behind it. With Silent Tactic on the Derby trail and Counting Stars and Search Party still in the Oaks picture, the Hall of Famer has three live runners and, for once, a real chance to turn momentum into a first Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks victory.

Silent Tactic remains the clearest Derby hope. The colt by Tacitus won the Southwest Stakes on Feb. 6 by 3 1/4 lengths and collected 20 Kentucky Derby points, then came back in the Arkansas Derby on March 28 and finished second behind Renegade. That race said plenty about his profile: he moved into contention, but once Renegade kicked clear, Silent Tactic could not match the winner’s finish. Renegade won by four lengths in 1:49.70 before a record Oaklawn crowd of 73,000, and Casse has been right to treat him as the one to beat for May 2 at Churchill Downs. For Silent Tactic, the question is whether a more favorable pace and a cleaner stalking trip can turn a promising colt into a real Derby threat.

Counting Stars gave Casse his loudest Oaks signal. The daughter of Honor A. P. powered clear in the Fantasy Stakes on March 27, winning by 5 1/2 lengths over stablemate Search Party in 1:44.47 and earning a career-high preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 92. She improved to 4 wins in 7 starts and pushed her bankroll to $972,606, all while the race was reduced to five starters after Explora scratched with a fever and the points structure was cut to 75 percent. That was not a soft win. It was a filly taking command of a major prep and making a case that she can stay in the center of the Oaks conversation, with the added possibility that she could test males later if the right spot opens.

Search Party is still in the mix too. Owned by Tracy Farmer and trained by Casse, she was the runner-up in the Fantasy and remains a legitimate Oaks contender, even if Counting Stars separated herself that day. With the Oaks limited to the top 14 point earners and the Derby capped at 17, the next few weeks will decide how many of these Oaklawn horses get their shot in Louisville. For Casse, who has never won either classic and whose best Derby finish remains Danzig Moon’s fifth in 2015, this is as close as he has ever come to having both races within reach at the same time.