Mark Casse

Mark Casse

Born February 14th, 1961 in Indianapolis, Indiana, Mark Casse was immersed in racing from the beginning. He is the son of Norman Casse, former chairman of the board of OBS. Seeing Secretariat win the Kentucky Derby is what got Mark hooked on the Sport of Kings.

Mark started his career on the racetrack mucking stalls in Indiana. He then went on run his father's Cardinal Hill Farm in Ocala. At the young age, of eighteen he became a trainer, winning his first race at Keeneland Racecourse in 1979. Casse is now based in Ontario, Canada at Woodbine Racecourse, and also has strings in Kentucky and Florida. He and his wife also operate a training center in Ocala, Moonshadow Farm . He is also the former private trainer and director of operations for the massive Mockingbird Farm operation, which owner Harry Mangurian dispersed in 1999.

Casse has trained five Sovereign Award winners - Exciting Story (1999 2-year-old colt), Added Edge (2002 2-year-old colt), Kimchi (2006 3-year-old filly), Sealy Hill (2007 3-year-old filly, turf female and Horse of the Year), and Marchfield (2008 & 2009 male on the main track). He has also won the Sovereign Award for leading training three times, as well as earned training titles at Churchill Downs, Turfway Park, and Woodbine.

Casse resides in Kleinburg, Ontario and Ocala, Florida with his wife Tina and seven children.