Casse Racing put together a dominant four-win performance Friday at Oaklawn Park, highlighted by Silent Tactic’s powerful victory in the Grade III Southwest Stakes and an impressive score from Search Party in the Martha Washington earlier on the card. Silent Tactic delivered one of the day’s most electrifying finishes, rallying from last in the 12-horse field to draw off by 3 1/4 lengths in the $1 million Kentucky Derby prep. The Tacitus colt, making just his second start over the Oaklawn surface, showed a devastating late kick that turned heads down the stretch.
“He’s a horse that doesn’t need to be close. He’s very easy to ride,” said jockey Cristian Torres. “There was plenty of speed, so I just let him be comfortable wherever he wanted. Midway on the second turn is when I knew I had it. When I got him clear, I knew he was going to fire for me. The more distance the better, I think.” Torres also guided Search Party to victory earlier in the day, praising the filly’s versatility and determination. “She can run on the pace, stalk—she’s a great filly to ride. I was just waiting for the hole to open up, and when it did, she responded.”
Trainer Mark Casse called Search Party’s win especially meaningful, noting the long-standing relationship with her connections. “This one is special,” Casse said. “The first horse I ever bought for Tracy Farmer was her mother. The Farmers have been such great supporters of ours, and she showed a lot of heart today. The Kentucky Oaks would be nice—we’ll see.” The four-win day also included a victory from Reckless in the opener for DJ Stable and a standout maiden special weight win from Top Level for George Yager, who earned an 88 Beyer Speed Figure.