If you don’t count Covid 2020, the last 10 years have been the best of Mark Casse’s career, earnings-wise.

With $17.7 million in earnings last year, he was just short of his career high, set in 2016. It helps when you win 22 graded stakes.

“So far this year has been pretty good too,” Casse told Horse Racing Nation. Among his 3-year-olds, Sandman could secure a spot in the Kentucky Derby with a win or maybe a second in Sunday’s Grade 2 Rebel, where he’s the morning-line favorite. La Cara is third on the leaderboard for the Kentucky Oaks (G1).

They’re part of a talented bunch of 3-year-olds in Casse’s barn, which tracks after last year. “We had a lot of good 2-year-olds, so it’s nice.”

While driving across Florida this week, Casse provided updates on some of those sophomores plus older horses in his stable for HRN’s Barn Tour series.

3-year-olds

Sandman. The $1.2 million Tapit colt has 14 Derby points from three preps, most recently the Southwest (G2), where he overcame a tangle at the break to finish second. “He got a good post,” with Cristian Torres starting from gate 3. You know, the weather’s been a little hit and miss. Hopefully, we get a good racetrack. We’re in these preps, trying to figure out where we fit in. And when you get a bad racetrack, it kind of skews all that. As a horse trainer, you can take winning or losing. It’s just you want a fair shot, a good assessment.” Regarding his performance in the Southwest, Casse said, “I went in saying to everybody, we’re going to find out whether he’s a man or a boy. And overcoming what he overcame and to be able to run as well as he did, I think he showed he’s a man. But that was only one test. We still have a few more.”

La Cara. A Tracy Farmer homebred by Street Sense, she won the Suncoast on Feb. 8 and the Pocahontas (G3) in September, with a fifth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in between, for a total of 33 Kentucky Oaks points. “She ran extremely well last week. We’re going to run her in the Devona Dale. It’s a little back quick, but it sets her up nice. The Farmers are from Midway, Ky., pretty close to Lexington, so Keeneland is important to them. We’re going to try to run in the Davona Dale (G2), then hopefully, the Ashland (G1) and then the Oaks. So I’ve kind of got to give somewhere. And where we’re going to give is we’re going to run back in three weeks, in hopes then we get five weeks to the Ashland.”

Mi Bago. The Vekoma colt has won two stakes since finishing fifth in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes on the Breeders’ Cup undercard, where he “kind of had a bad trip. Got checked a couple times. He’s come back and run very well.” Next up for him is the Colonel Liam on March 1 at Gulfstream Park.

And One More Time. The Omaha Beach filly hasn’t raced since winning the Natalma (G1) in September, leading a trifecta for Casse with Vixen and Nitrogen in second and third. “She got hurt after the Natalma. She’s currently still at Live Oak. She’s going to start back in training here in about 30 days, but she won’t run until the summer.”

Vixen. This Vekoma filly was sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and returned Feb. 1 with a win in the Sweetest Chant. In the Breeders’ Cup, “she had a very rough trip. Not so much a rough trip in the Breeders’ Cup, just a wide trip. She lost the Breeders’ Cup at the draw. It’s almost impossible to win from an outside post at Del Mar on the turf. She ran well, widened on both turns, got beat three or four lengths. Gave her a break, came back and her win in the Sweetest Chant was impressive. She’s going to come back in the Herecomesthebride (G3) in hopes of going to Keeneland after that.”

Nitrogen. A D.J. Stable homebred by Medaglia d’Oro, Nitrogen broke her maiden in the Ginger Brew Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 4, her most recent start. She was second by a neck in her August debut then third in both the Natalma and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Her next start will be in the Florida Oaks (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs on March 8.

Abientot. Winner of the Matron Stakes (G3) in October, she hasn’t raced since finishing last of 14 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. She’s been working at Palm Meadows and Casse wasn’t sure where her next start will be. “She may run in the Herecomesthebride as well.”

Dream On. This son of Not This Time came back from a fifth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf to win an optional-claiming allowance at Gulfstream last month. His next start will be in the Columbia at Tampa Bay on March 8.

Older horses

Pounce. This 4-year-old filly by Lookin At Lucky won two graded stakes last year and was fourth in the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G2) in her most recent start. She’s pointed to the Honey Fox (G3) at Gulfstream Park on March 1.

Webslinger. The 5-year-old gelding by Constitution, a $50,000 purchase who has won $1.4 million, hasn’t raced since September. “Webslinger had surgery on his knee, and he’s actually started back training. He looked great this morning. He’s still probably 60 to 90 days away from running.”

Paramount Prince. A 5-year-old gelding by Society’s Chairman, he won two graded stakes last year but hasn’t had a start since November. “Just starting to breeze. He’ll be getting ready for Woodbine.”

Souper Quest. The 5-year-old son of Munnings is “a really good turf sprinter.” He hasn’t had a start since October, but he’s been working at Casse Training Center and will return Saturday in the Turf Dash at Tampa Bay Downs.

Win for the Money. This 6-year-old Mohaymen gelding won the Woodbine Mile (G1) in September and was seventh in the Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) last out. “He ran all right in the Pegasus. Just giving him a little break right now, and I don’t know when we’ll bring him back just yet.”

Ice Chocolat. Now 7, the gelded son of Goldikovic hasn’t raced since a gate-to-wire win in the Poker (G3) in June and has been working at Palm Meadows. “He’s ready to go. We’re just kind of waiting on a race. He’s ready to run.”

Get Smokin. The 8-year-old Get Stormy gelding, winner of $2.1 million, last was seen winning by open lengths in the Valedictory (G3) at Woodbine in December. “He’s coming back. Probably only going to run him three or four times this year, and it’ll be more in the summer and fall.”

Filo di Arianna. Now a 9-year-old, the Drosselmeyer gelding was second in the Woodbine Mile in his most recent start. “He got a break after his last win, and he’s up to breezing a half (mile). Probably 30 to 45 days away from running.”