Casse Confident Travers is Right Spot for Silent Tactic

An ultimate goal for the connections of a talented young colt is to secure a grade 1 win and lock up a lucrative stallion deal. On Aug. 29, the 157th edition of the $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1) will bring the very best of the 3-year-old division together at Saratoga Race Course for a huge showdown that features Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Golden Tempo, Preakness Stakes (G1) victor Napoleon Solo, and Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Renegade, who was second in the Run for the Roses and is coming off a visually impressive victory in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at the Spa. With four grade 1 winners, plus three others who are grade 1-placed in a field of 10, it seems a highly formidable spot to gain a coveted initial top-level victory. So why, in an era of discretion over valor, is dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse running grade 3 winner and grade 1-placed Silent Tactic in the Midsummer Derby off a third in the Jim Dandy instead of next month's easier Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing? "I never had any thoughts about running anywhere else but the Travers," he said. Owned by John C. Oxley, with Victoriam Farm buying in for $1.5 million Aug. 14 through the Fasig-Tipton Digital Silent Tactic Flash Sale, Silent Tactic is one of a handful of accomplished 3-year-olds who have come close to earning grade 1 honors only to be denied at the wire. His story includes a win in the Southwest Stakes (G3), followed by a nose loss in the Rebel Stakes (G2) and a second by 4 lengths to Renegade in the March 28 Arkansas Derby. The son of Tacitus was on course for the Kentucky Derby, but a foot issue kept him out of the Triple Crown, and then some. He did not race for five months until the Aug. 1 Jim Dandy, when he pressed the pace in a small field of five and wound up third, 2 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Renegade. For Casse, that was enough to make his reservations for Travers Day. "He's not an easy horse to train because he does not put a lot into his works. I've always said he looks like a $25,000 claimer when he works. I did the best I could before the Jim Dandy because not only was he coming off a five-month layoff but some of that time was interrupted by the foot problem. Knock on wood that's behind him," Casse said. "So, I thought it was a big effort. More importantly, he's come back and trained very well." As loaded as the Travers field turned out to be, Casse is not second-guessing his decision to run as a 10-1 co-sixth choice in the morning line. "I think this is a good race," he said. "I don't know if there's a standout. The Kentucky Derby winner is going to be tough. You can't take anything away from him. He was impressive in the Derby and came back and won the Belmont, which was also impressive. But Renegade only beat us (2 1/2) lengths off a five-month layoff. How could I not be in the Travers?" Having the son of the Gun Runner mare Magical Sign bred by Don Alberto Corporation at the Spa for the last few months also played a key role in the decision. "This is home for him. Why would I want to change surfaces?" Casse said. "Not every horse likes Parx and I know our horse likes Saratoga. So, it was always the Travers for me. I said to myself going into the Jim Dandy that if he gets beat 6 or 7 lengths, I'll probably run him in the Travers and he ran better than anticipated." With much more early speed in the longer, 1 1/4-mile Travers than the Jim Dandy, Casse envisions Silent Tactic running in a more typical style: midpack. "The distance won't hurt. He'll run a different race in the Travers, a little more off the speed, in front of Golden Tempo and Renegade. We don't want to be up there," he said. Breaking from post 10, jockey Luis Saez's options figure to be dictated by what happens when the gates open. After that, a 1 1/4-mile trip around the beloved Spa will determine if the Travers was indeed the right spot for Silent Tactic. Casse is confident it is. "He's doing great," he said, "and I'm excited to run him. I think he's going to run big."