Page 239 - September 2023

You See That’s winning connections include breeder/owner/trainer Michael Casselman and jockey Jose Nicasio.
Casselman after the race heaped praise on the Burns Ranch operation, a major breeding farm in California where many top stallions stand.
“I’m really happy,” he said. “All the credit goes to the Burns Ranch. They help raise my horses, breed them, get them ready, break them. That’s what gives us the opportunity to run nice horses.”
Casselman trains many of the Burns Ranch runners and had wanted to have some of the ranch’s 2 year olds in the race as well.
“It’s a family deal,” he said. “We were hoping to have a couple in this race for them. It didn’t work out, but I’m glad they were here supporting us.”
Seperate Interest, the sire of You See That, stands at Burns Ranch. Casselman trained the horse when he ran at Los Alamitos, where Seperate Interest won the 2013 Town Policy Stakes and the 2014 Kaweah Bar Handicap-G3 and Z Wayne Griffin Director Invitational Stakes.
“I’m happy about Seperate Interest,” Casselman said. “He was my first decent horse that I trained here. It was fun to see him have a winner.”
Casselman also had a hand in the development of Mindys Favorite, the dam
of You See That. Burns Ranch bred Mindys Favorite, a daughter of the good stallion Favorite Cartel, who also stands at Burns Ranch.
“I picked her for Russ Stooks, and he ran her when she was two and three,” Casselman said. “I ended up buying her from Russ. We bred her to Seperate Interest ever since. We’ve got some others coming from her by Mpshinning.”
Mindys Favorite has produced three starters, all winners and all by Seperate Interest. The first one, Rox Win, is still running for Casselman and has finished second in the 2020 Corona Chick Handicap and third in the 2023 Flight 109 Handicap.
Steve Burns raced Miss Kittys Bar Bet, You See
That’s third dam. Miss
Kittys Bar Bet, who earned $261,981, finished second
in the 2009 Charger Bar Handicap-G1 and third in
the 2007 Ed Burke Million Futurity-G1 and Kindergarten Futurity-G1. She has produced stakes-placed No Arizona, Jess Bet Me, and Favorite Bet.
Wilde Thing (Favorite Cartel-Hot Rocking), the
1-2 favorite, finished second. Diego Herrera rode the gelding for trainer Cesar DeAlba and owner Kolleen Ledgerwood. Wilde Thing won twice and finished second once in his three prior starts.
Henry Lopez piloted Hubba Hubba (Foose-Sweet TR) to third for trainer Elena Andrade and owner Ramiro Lozano. Hubba Hubba broke her maiden in her second of four previous starts.
Mask Mandate (Favorite Cartel-Quirky) and Give Heed
(Fly Thru The Fire-Now Listen Here) finished fourth and fifth. Optical Illusion (Seperate Interest-Sweetest Illusion) finished sixth, but was disqualified and placed seventh, elevating Delightful Again (Favorite Cartel-Hearts Delight) to sixth.
Jose Nicasio and breeder/owner/trainer Mike Casselman celebrate their win.
RACING NEWS
SPEEDHORSE September 2023 237
William Zuazo, Los Alamitos William Zuazo, Los Alamitos