Trainer Norm Casse plans to have a larger presence than normal at Saratoga this summer, maintaining a 16- to 20-head string led by graded stakes winner Awesome Aaron.
Based on the success his father Mark had last year (15 for 53) due in part to getting his horses to Saratoga early, Norm Casse already has several horses at the Spa, including Awesome Aaron. On Thursday, Awesome Aaron worked five furlongs in 59.61 seconds, according to Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch. Awesome Aaron, coming off a victory in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special on May 16, is pointing to the Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban on July 4 at Saratoga. He has worked three times at Saratoga.
“We got him up there early and let him breeze over the racetrack, and he seems to really like it up there,” Casse said. “All kinds of encouraging signs.”
Casse claimed Awesome Aaron for $40,000 last September. After five losses – but three in-the-money finishes – Casse removed blinkers from Awesome Aaron’s equipment and the gelding won a second-level allowance at Oaklawn Park by 5 3/4 lengths, earning a 104 Beyer Speed Figure. He backed that performance up with a three-quarter-length victory in the Pimlico Special over Phileas Fogg.
“He kind of reaffirmed what we believed, that taking the blinkers off and stretching him out made a huge difference,” Casse said. “Made him an upper-level type horse.”
Casse had the option of running Awesome Aaron in the Suburban or next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Stephen Foster, a race that is expected to attract the likes of Sierra Leone, Mindframe, and Mystik Dan.
“It’s more of just trying to find what at least is perceived to be a little easier spot than the Stephen Foster,” Casse said. “Anytime you’re running for good money and you’re running in graded company, you’re running against good horses. But the Stephen Foster seems to be coming up extra special this year.”
Among those pointing to the Suburban are Locked, winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap, and Phileas Fogg. On Friday, at Belmont, Phileas Fogg worked five furlongs in 58.20 over the training track, according to DRF clocker Donald Harris.
At the 2023 Saratoga meet, Casse won seven races from 12 starters. At that time, half of the approximately 12 horses he stabled there were 2-year-olds. This year, Casse plans to have older horses, including several recent claims he made at Churchill Downs and Oaklawn for Jay Provenzano’s Flying P Stables. Among the recent claims are Ready for Trouble, Tizmarkus, Gunner Bay, and Breslau.
I’m Wide Awake, a five-length winner of a New York-bred first-level allowance on June 8 at Saratoga, also is expected to compete at the meet.
Casse said he doesn’t plan to bring any unraced 2-year-olds to Saratoga this summer. He may bring the maiden winner Color Comin’ In depending how she runs in the Debutante on June 29 at Churchill.
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