Home / Sports / Casse Stuns Oaklawn with 1-2 Smarty Jones Finish
Casse Stuns Oaklawn with 1-2 Smarty Jones Finish
5 Jan
Summary
- Trainer Mark Casse secured a 1-2 finish in the Smarty Jones Stakes.
- Strategic Risk won the race, earning Kentucky Derby qualifying points.
- Casse's horses have shown remarkable success at Oaklawn this season.
Dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse continued his dominant run at Oaklawn, orchestrating a 1-2 finish in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on Saturday. Strategic Risk, owned and bred by John Oxley, crossed the finish line 4½ lengths ahead of stablemate Silent Tactic, securing a significant victory for the Casse barn.
This win in the Smarty Jones, Oaklawn's first Kentucky Derby qualifying race, awards Strategic Risk 10 points toward eligibility for the Triple Crown's first leg. The 1 1/16-mile race saw Strategic Risk clock in at 1:45.06, earning a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 87. The colt, by Noble Bird, was exiting a victory in the Florida Sire In Reality Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Casse expressed satisfaction with his Oaklawn success, noting that Strategic Risk will likely target the Southwest Stakes next. Meanwhile, Silent Tactic may gain experience in an allowance race. Casse also has the unbeaten Grade 2 winner Ewing nearing his three-year-old debut, potentially aiming for an allowance sprint race before the Rebel Stakes.
