Mark E. Casse

Born: Feb. 14, 1961, Indianapolis, Ind.

Residence: Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada, and Ocala, Fla.

Family: wife, Tina; seven children: Cheryl, Norman, Joel, Alex, Camille, Kyle and Colby; several grandchildren ... Norman was the top assistant to his father before hanging out his own shingle in 2018.

Racing: Was born into the business as the son of Norman Casse, who was an owner, trainer and breeder for more than 40 years as well as the former chairman of the Ocala Breeders Sales. His father, to whom he was especially close and credits as his role model and mentor, passed away in 2016.

Breeders’ Cup Record: 42-4-5-3 | $6,113,000

• Casse has saddled 42 previous Breeders’ Cup starters, and won his first two trophies in 2015 with Tepin (Mile) when she defeated males, and Catch A Glimpse (Juvenile Fillies Turf). In 2016, he captured the Juvenile with Classic Empire and last year took the Mile with World Approval.

• Also has five seconds (Tepin, 2016 Mile; Valadorna, 2016 Juvenile Fillies Turf; Airoforce, 2015 Juvenile Turf; Laugh Track, 2013 Sprint; Sealy Hilly, 2008 Filly & Mare Turf); and a trio of thirds (Awesome Slew, 2017 Dirt Mile; Delegation, 2012 Dirt Mile; Delightful Mary, 2010 Juvenile Fillies).

• The brilliant Tepin earned back-to-back year-end champion honors as the 2015-2016 Turf Female, making her Casse’s first winner and only repeat champion. Unraced and retired in 2017, she is considered among the sport’s all-time great female runners.

• Tepin, a six-time Grade 1 winner who earned $4,437,918 in her career, provided Casse with his first win overseas when turning in a spectacular effort in the 2016 -G1 at prestigious Royal Ascot meet in June.

• The Robert Masterson-owned Tepin and ’s Catch a Glimpse, who was also retired last year, were offered as broodmare prospects at the November Sale. “Those are my girls,” Casse said a bit wistfully. “We’re real proud of them. I’m sure they’re both going to get really good homes and that’s nice for them. Now we’re concentrating on getting the next Tepins and Catch a Glimpses.”

• Comes into the 2018 Breeders’ Cup again with a very strong hand: in the Distaff, Awesome Slew in the Dirt Mile, Valadorna in the Filly & Mare Turf, possibly Catherinethegreat to join Chocolate Kisses in the Juvenile Fillies, War of Will in the Juvenile Turf and Strike Silver in the Juvenile Turf Sprint .

• Wonder Gadot, who is owned by former MGM Studios head Gary Barber, is named for Gal Gadot, the Israeli supermodel and Hollywood actress who starred in the title role of the blockbuster film “Wonder Woman.” Casse said that the gorgeous Gal Gadot, a former Miss Israel, is aware of her namesake and is a fan of the beautiful filly.

• Wonder Gadot, the reigning Sovereign Award-winning 2-year-old filly, defeated males in July in The Queen’s Plate, Canada’s most prestigious race and the first jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown.

• In 2014, another filly , also owned by Barber, captured the Queen’s Plate trophy, giving Casse his first victory in 18 tries. After winning a pair of Grade 2 races in 2016, Lexi Lou was retired as a four-time Sovereign Award winner in September 2016 and was sold for $1 million to KI Farm at the 2016 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

• Wonder Gadot additionally won the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the , in 2018 but Casse and Barber opted to skip the third leg and instead run the filly against the boys in the Tavers Stakes-G1 at Saratoga, where she was eased to finish last.

• Casse won the Prince of Wales with another filly, John Oxley’s Dixie Strike, in 2012.

• Grade 1 winner in 2018 as of October 9 is Salty in the LaTroienne Stakes. He has won nine other graded stakes so far with nine different horses.

• Nominated to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2017 and 2018. Achieved the career highlight of being inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame in 2016.

• In 2018, moved into eighth place on the all-time earnings list by a trainer with $153,350,081 earned by 15,769 starters with a record of 2,585- 2,334- 2090 through Oct. 9.

• Ranks fifth on the list of 2018 top North American trainers as of Oct. 9 with $12,019,655 and 178 wins.

• Based at Woodbine in Canada, he has been that country’s standout trainer for 15 years and has won the Sovereign Award as Canada’s top trainer a record 10 times, first for three straight years and again for six consecutive years (2006-08, 2011-17).

• Trained more than 25 Sovereign Award winners and four of the champions were voted the Canadian Horse of the Year: Sealy Hill (2007), Uncaptured (2012), Lexie Lou (2014), and Catch a Glimpse (2015).

• Sealy Hill is the only Canadian Filly Triple Crown winner (2007).

• Captured his 2,000 career win at Gulfstream Park May 14, 2016.

• Trains for some of the sport’s most prominent owners including John and Debby Oxley, Gary Barber, Live Oak Plantation, Coolmore, Robert Masterson, Gabe Grossberg, Stonestreet Stables, Everett Dobson’s Cheyenne Stable, the Steinbrenner family, Mrs. Stella Thayer, Calumet Farm and Breeze Easy (Sam Rossi & Mike Hall).

• The 14 Hands Winery Juvenile Fillies sets up as a family affair for the Oxleys again in 2018 as it did in 2017, as Debby Oxley’s Chocolate Kisses could be in the starting gate with John Oxley’s Schuylerville Stakes-G3 winner Catherinethegreat. Last year Debby’s Grade 1-winning Heavenly Love (11th) lined up against John’s Gio Game (9th).

• Was the private trainer for the massive Conquest Stables, the nom de course for Ernie Semersky and Dory Newell, who invested heavily when getting into the business in 2013, but entirely dispersed their more than 100 horses at the 2016 Keeneland November sales.

• Runs divisions in Canada, New York, Kentucky, Florida, and Louisiana.

• Trained Hillaby, Sealy Hill’s first foal, to championship honors as Canada’s 2014 Female Sprinter.

• Always known as a talented developer of young horses, in 2014 he surpassed Todd Pletcher as North America’s top conditioner of 2-year-olds.

• Oversees an expansive stable with more than 80 horses and has of 50 employees.

• Hired former trainer David Carroll in early 2016 and he oversees the Fair Grounds and Kentucky divisions…Randi Melton takes care of the Florida contingent and in March she brought Holding Gold to the United Arab Emirates to compete on the Dubai World Cup card.

• Grew up in his dad’s barn, mucking stalls in the sub-zero Indiana winters.

• Won his first race on the old Massachusetts Fair circuit when just 17, and took out his trainer’s license at the age of 18 and won his first official race at Keeneland in 1979.

• Immersed himself in Thoroughbred racing when only 12 years old. A trip in a horse van with his father to see win the in 1973 in track record time completely hooked him.

• Began running his father's Cardinal Hill Farm when he was only 15 and began training officially when he was 18. He won his first race in 1979 at Keeneland.

• Former private trainer and operations director for the massive Mockingbird Farm in Florida, which the late owner Harry Manguarian dispersed in 1999. • He and his wife, Tina, run a training center and farm in Ocala named Moonshadow Farm.

• Is the father-in-law of NYRA and TVG racing analyst/TV personality Gabby Gaudet, who married Norm Casse this summer.

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