OCALA, Fla. — In between running horses and moving bales of hay, the staff at the Casse Racing Training Center can hardly contain its excitement.
This weekend is the biggest in the already high-stakes world of racing: the Kentucky Derby. For many of them, this year is also the closest they’ve ever gotten to winning the Garland of Roses.
“There’s so many hoops you got to jump through to make it to the Kentucky Derby,” trainer Mark Casse said. “You can never count on anything.”
This year, Casse’s hopes rest on Sandman, who he started training 14 months ago after its owners bought him for $1.2 million. That’s expensive by horse standards.
Sandman comes from a highly sought-after lineage that’s known for its toughness, bordering on stubborn. The team said Sandman stood out right away for the way he would train, but no one can ever predict if a horse will be good enough to make the derby.
Sandman secured his spot after winning the $1.5 million purse at the Arkansas Derby in March. He’s considered one of the top three horses in the Kentucky field crowded with contenders with central Florida ties.
He also became Casse’s 14th derby horse.
While Casse has won the Belmont and Preakness in his decades-long career, Sandman would be his first Kentucky winner and Triple Crown contender. He narrowly missed with War of Will in 2019 after another horse interfered during the final turn.
“I just came from the barn, and he trained super this morning. He’s got a lot of energy. He’s ready to go,” Casse said, while worrying about the potential for rain Saturday. “This horse has a legitimate chance to win. So we’re keeping our fingers crossed. We’ve had a lot of bad luck, and we just hope we can get some good luck.”
The staff in Ocala will take a few minutes to cheer Sandman on but will otherwise spend Saturday doing what they always do: training the next champion.
On Friday, that meant about a dozen trainers and jockeys riding horses around Casse’s private track, noting times and postures.
Some staff members took delivery of a new batch of horses, while others were prepared to be sent to Upstate New York to train for the summer racing season.
The team also proudly showed off their first-class spa, where horses are sent after training. It includes a swimming pool that the horses eagerly jump into, a vibration stall, washing stations and a cold water bath to chill muscles.
The staff noted each horse spends seven minutes in the 34-degree water, far longer than the 30 seconds any of them are able to endure. The one occupying the bath during WFTV’s tour Friday looked unbothered.
Casse said it was too soon to know which two-year-old horse would be their best 2026 hope. He said they just started running the younger crop.
“I think there’s a very good shot you’ll see us in the Kentucky Derby again next year,” he said.
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