2/15/26 Barn Notes
The pressure is on Ewing.
Dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse has entered horses in eight stakes races this season at Oaklawn. Casse has eight stakes victories. But eight is not enough. Casse has the 6-5 program favorite for Monday’s $150,000 Ozark in Ewing, an unbeaten Grade 2 winner who will be making his 3-year-old debut in the 6-furlong race.
The Florida-based Casse notched his eighth stakes victory at the meeting when unbeaten French Friction scored by 5 ¾ front-running lengths in Saturday’s $150,000 Dixie Belle for 3-year-old filly sprinters under Cristian Torres. French Friction moved Casse’s overall record, through just 19 days of racing, to 18 for 40 and stakes record to an astounding eight for 12 (he had two starters in four races).
Casse has a meet-high $1,951,473 in purse earnings, with more than 70 percent of that total ($1,390,300) coming in stakes races. The Dixie Belle was the 24th stakes race run this season at Oaklawn.
“It’s weird to say, but like the Southwest or the Smarty Jones, we had two in there, but we eventually did win the races,” Caden Arthur, who oversees Casse’s 28-horse Oaklawn division, said Sunday morning. “It’s kind of crazy to think that. It’s unbelievable. I mean, being almost 50 percent (win rate) is crazy in this game. We won nine races last year, I believe, at the whole meet. Now, we’ve won eight stakes so far. It’s very nice.”
Prior to French Friction, Casse won the inaugural $135,000 Astral Spa Overnight Stakes Dec. 14 with Counting Stars, $150,000 Year’s End Stakes Dec. 27 with Counting Stars, inaugural $135,000 Oaklawn Sports Overnight Stakes Jan. 1 with Nerazurri, $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 3 with Strategic Risk, $300,000 Martha Washington Stakes Feb. 6 with Search Party, $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 6 with Silent Tactic and the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) Feb. 7 with champion Nitrogen.
Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen set Oaklawn’s single-season record for stakes victories by a trainer (11) in 2023-2024.
French Friction (two-for-two) was making her stakes debut after a six-length victory in maiden special weight company Dec. 27 at Oaklawn. Arthur said next-race plans are pending for French Friction, whose sire, City of Light, won the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and Oaklawn Handicap (G2) in 2018.
“She looked great today and very happy with everything,” Arthur said. “We’re ready to roll with her, keep going. Excited for that one.”
Ewing (2 for 2) will be making his first start since edging favored Obliteration by a length in the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) at 6 ½ furlongs Aug. 2. Obliteration returned to win the $150,000 Renaissance Stakes at six furlongs Jan. 3 at Oaklawn and ran second in the Saudi Derby (G3) at approximately one mile Saturday in Saudi Arabia. Ewing broke his maiden by 12 lengths at 5 ½ furlongs July 5 at Saratoga.
“He’s been training great, looks good,” Arthur said.
Casse was nine for 50 at the 2024-2025 Oaklawn meeting, highlighted by Sandman’s victory in the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) for 3-year-olds. Casse’s runners generated $1,796,205 in purses.
Majestic Performance
Majestic Oops will likely remain around one turn for her next start following a dominating performance in Friday’s $150,000 American Beauty Stakes for older female sprinters, trainer Dan Ward said Sunday morning.
Ward said he’s targeting the $250,000 Matron Stakes March 27 at Oaklawn for Majestic Oops, who rolled to a 3 ¼-length victory in the American Beauty under Francisco Arrieta. The Matron, like the American Beauty, is six furlongs.
“Since I’ve had her, I’ve sprinted her three times,” Ward said. “She was second first time out and then she was third in Ballerina and she won. I think they (owners) want to go for the Matron because when she routed, there were a couple of times last year that she went too fast the first part and didn’t finish. But sprinting, you just run.”
Majestic Oops received a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 92 for the American Beauty, which was her third career stakes victory. She was making her first start since finishing ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at 1 1/8 miles Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
Majestic Oops won two races last season at Oaklawn, an entry-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles and the $200,000 Dig A Diamond Stakes at one mile. Both races were in April. Majestic Oops also won the Lady Secret’s Stakes at 1 1/16 miles in June at Monmouth Park.
Ward trains Majestic Oops for Medallion Racing (Phillip Shelton), Evan Trommer, Agave Racing Stable (Mark Martinez) and Sheila Regan. Ward said Majestic Oops may be nominated to the $400,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles March 7 at Oaklawn, but the Matron is a better fit, timing wise.
“It’s good spacing,” Ward said. “It’s six weeks.”
Majestic Oops, a 6-year-old California-bred daughter of Majestic Harbor, has an 8-11-4 record from 34 lifetime starts and earnings of $724,309. She is a three-time stakes winner.
