Casse duo heads Saturday’s $750K Juvenile Sprint

Lagynos tops $500K Tight Spot Overnight

Kentucky Downs stakes advance by Ryan Martin (Coady Media photo above of Vision winning a May 28 allowance race at Churchill Downs)

On Kentucky HBPA Youtube (Aug. 7): Jockey Keith Asmussen discusses Grand Yaupon

FRANKLIN, KY (August 25, 2026) – Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse will be represented by stakes-placed Braums Run, and Graded stakes-placed Vissino in a field of 12 assembled for Saturday’s ninth running of the $750,000 Keeneland Sales Juvenile Sprint going 6 ½ furlongs.

The Keeneland Sales Juvenile Sprint is one of three stakes races carded for Opening Day’s program, which also features the Grade 1, $1.75 million Never Say Die Ladies Turf Sprint, and the $500,000 Tight Spot Overnight Handicap. 

Bred in Kentucky by owner D J Stable, Braums Run arrives from a 1 ¾-length maiden victory on July 19 over the Saratoga main track. The son of leading first-crop sire Golden Pal earned a stakes placing on grass in his career debut, finishing third in the Royal Palm Juvenile on May 9 at Gulfstream Park. 

“I like this horse a lot. He’s by Golden Pal who’s been a good first-year sire,” Casse said. “He broke his maiden on dirt, but I’ve worked him on the grass, and he loves it.”

Jockey Dylan Davis, who piloted Braums Run in his maiden win, returns to the irons from post 5.

While Braums Run returns to grass, Blue Crevalle Racing and Quintessential Racing’s Vissino [post 8, Florent Geroux] will test new waters in making his turf debut in Saturday’s race. The son of Preservationist was triumphant in his May 28 debut at Churchill Downs, coming from off the pace to win by three-quarters of a length, before finishing second in the Grade 3 Sanford on July 4 at Saratoga. Since that effort, Vissino has breezed three times over the turf at Saratoga’s Oklahoma training turf course. 

“He’s worked well on the grass also,” Casse said. “I looked at him and thought he would like turf. He’s breezed three times on the grass and he seems to take to it well.”

Ten Broeck Farm’s undefeated 2-year-old filly Waggley [post 9, Yedsit Hazlewood] also entered the Juvenile Sprint, is one of two entrants for trainer Wesley Ward. 

Waggley has won all three of her lifetime starts, including an easy 4 ¾-length victory in the Prairie Gold Juvenile against males last out on July 11. She also defeated males in the Kentucky Juvenile in April at Churchill Downs, three weeks after giving her first-crop sire Life Is Good his first winning progeny in a Keeneland maiden race. 

Waggley has been cross-entered for Sunday’s $750,000 Untapable, the Juvenile Sprint’s female counterpart race. Ward said that he is leaning towards running Waggley in Sunday’s race.  

Also for Ward is Just a Holiday, who is still in search of his first trip to the winner’s circle, but showed much improvement in his first start on turf last out. Owned by Twin Oaks Bloodstock and Castleton Lyons, the son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify was second beaten a neck last out going 5 ½ furlongs at Saratoga, following a distant eighth on debut behind eventual Graded stakes-winner Booked over the Saratoga main track. 

“He was always a big colt, so I took my time with him,” said Ward, a three-time Juvenile Sprint winning trainer. “As soon as I breezed him, I couldn’t believe how fast he was because he was such a big colt. Each work was more and more impressive. I was pretty excited about him the first time I ran him, but unfortunately, he got left at the gate that day.” 

Just a Holiday, an $800,000 Keeneland September purchase last year is a half-brother to former Ward trainee Chi Town Lady, who won the Grade 1 Test in 2022 at Saratoga. 

A surface switch appeared to make a big difference for Just a Holiday, who showed early speed in his turf debut, but tired to second and finished three-quarters of a length behind the eventual winner Generational. 

“He had vindicated what I thought about him in his next start. He was way too fast early and paid the price late, but at least he showed his talent,” Ward said, “Had he gone a little easier the first part of the race he would have won, I don’t normally put maidens in these kinds of races, but this horse should have won his last race. He’s had multiple works at Keeneland and I think he learned a lot from his first two races, especially his second race.”

Reigning Eclipse Champion Apprentice Jockey Pietro Moran will pick up the mount aboard Just a Holiday from post 11.

Repole Stable’s Pinpoint [post 3, Ben Curtis] will try turf for the first time following an emphatic maiden score at second asking for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The son of leading sire Not This Time scored by 6 ¼ lengths on August 1 at Saratoga last out, which came following a distant fifth on debut. 

A $300,000 purchase at last year’s Keeneland September Sale, Pinpoint is the first progeny out of the stakes-winning Kantharos mare Magic Circle. 

Cherry Valley Farm Kentucky homebred Good To Be King [post 2, Axel Concepcion] will seek to improve off his stakes placing on turf when third in Ellis Park’s Riverside Rush on August 1. The son of War Front made up late ground and was beaten one length behind the victorious Fanshell Beach, just less than two weeks following a second-out maiden score going one mile on the turf at Ellis. 

The Estate of Mike McCarty’s Grand Yaupon [post 1, Keith Asmussen] makes his turf debut and enters from a runner-up in the Ellis Park Juvenile behind promising 2-year-old Salahudin. The son of leading second-crop sire Yaupon graduated at second asking over the main track at Saratoga. He was a $560,000 purchase at last year’s Keeneland September Sale. 

Rounding out the field are Arctic Wolf [post 4, Martin Garcia], Mid American [post 6, Jaime Torres], Admiral’s Order [post 7, Luan Machado], Boyhood Dream [post 10, Francisco Arrieta], and Ultimit Warrior [post 12, Chris Emigh].

The Keeneland Sales Juvenile Sprint is carded as Race 6 with a scheduled post time of 3:57 PM CT.

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Two-time Kentucky Downs winner Lagynos returns to the Kentucky-Tennessee border in hopes to get back on a winning track in Saturday’s $500,000 Tight Spot Overnight Handicap, a one-mile test for 3-year-olds and upward. 

Owned by HRH Sultan bin Mishal Al Saud, Lagynos won last year’s restricted Tapit at Kentucky Downs, defeating Ohana Honor by 5 ¼ lengths to earn a career-high 104 Beyer Speed Figure. The 5-year-old son of Kantharos also won his career debut at the Franklin turf course when breaking his maiden by 2 ¼ lengths for Hall of Famer and two-time meet leading trainer Steve Asmussen. 

This year, Lagynos put together an impressive streak of five consecutive stakes wins, four at Graded level, including the Grade 3 Fair Grounds and Grade 2 Muniz Memorial Classic at Fair Grounds, as well as the Grade 3 Arlington and Grade 2 Wise  Dan at Churchill Downs. His last start was a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Fourstardave on August 8 at Saratoga.

One of five Graded winners entered in the Tight Spot, Lagynos [125] will emerge from post 1 under Julien Leparoux.

St. George Stable’s Kentucky homebred Quatrocento [post 7, Axel Concepcion, 120] puts an unbeaten record at Kentucky Downs on the line for trainer Fausto Gutierrez. The 5-year-old War Front horse won two allowance optional claimers last year at Kentucky Downs leading at each point of call  both times. In his 2026 debut, he won the Grade 3 Tampa Bay at Tampa Bay Downs utilizing similar speed tactics. 

Reigning Tight Spot winner Chasing the Crown [post 2, Ben Curtis, 119] will attempt his first win since last year’s running for seven-time meet-leading trainer Mike Maker. Owned by Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher, the 7-year-old son of Skipshot finished behind Lagynos in his last three starts, including a most recent eighth in the Wise Dan. 

Godolphin’s Kentucky homebred Maycocks Bay [post 3, Brian Hernandez, Jr., 120] also looks to regain winning form for trainer Michael Stidham. The son of Speightstown won the Grade 2 Eclipse on May 30 over the Woodbine all-weather surface before a last-out third in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup on July 19 over the Woodbine turf course. 

Completing the field are Graded stakes-placed Herchee [post 4, Edgar Morales, 119], three-time winner Sumood [post 5, Danny Sheehy, 117], three-time winner Sea Singer [post 6, Yedsit Hazlewood, 117], Graded stakes winner West Hollywood [post 8, Adam Beschizza, 116], last year’s Tight Spot runner-up Lambeth [post 9, Florent Geroux, 117], Grade 1-placed Publisher[post 10, Mike Smith, 116], three-time winner I Know I Know [post 11, Keith Asmussen, 116], and Graded stakes-winner Hiding In Honduras [post 12, Jaime Torres, 119]. Silent Heart [post 13, Florent Geroux, 118] has been entered as also-eligible. 

The Tight Spot will go off as Race 10 with a scheduled post of 6:25 PM CT. 

The 1/ST BET Kentucky Downs Meet will be broadcast live each day of the seven-day meet on Peacock, FanDuelTV, as well as Kentucky Downs’ YouTube channel @kentuckydownsracing8897. NBC Sports also will provide live coverage of Opening Day from 3:00-5:00 PM CT, while NBC will air Kentucky Downs on Saturday, September 5 during the same time slot.