Norm Casse is Kentucky Oaks Bound with Southlawn

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00:00Norm Cassey has attended the Kentucky Oaks virtually every year for his entire life,

00:06but this Friday, he'll have the opportunity to saddle his very first Kentucky Oaks starter

00:11with Grade II Fairgrounds Oaks Victress South Lawn.

00:14We spoke with Norm about why he believes the best is yet to come for his talented filly.

00:19I've been coming to the Oaks and Derby since 1995, that's the first one.

00:24Even when I went and moved to Canada and worked for Dad up in Woodbine, the only weekend I

00:29ever took off was Derby weekend because I didn't want to break that streak.

00:33I love the Derby, the Oaks, and the whole weekend leading up to it, and that's why we're here.

00:38Early on, we thought she was very talented.

00:40As a two-year-old, we thought she was a Breeders' Cup type filly.

00:42She kind of always had those qualities.

00:44It was obvious that, you know, late in the fall that something was holding her back.

00:48Tyler Gafleon came back.

00:50He said that she was having, really, a lot of issues with her breathing.

00:54We sent her down to the fairgrounds and we performed a myectomy on her, and she's undefeated

00:58ever since.

01:00You know, the thing that probably impresses me most about how she's different is she doesn't

01:05have that early speed she had before.

01:07Now she makes a big, long, sustained run, which I think is going to be very beneficial

01:13in the Oaks.

01:15She's so kind and professional now that no matter where we are in a race, I'm still going

01:19to feel comfortable that she is going to run when Rehlu ask her to run.

01:24I think one of the storylines or the narratives that shouldn't go unsaid is that Rehlu gets

01:29along with her really well, and it just seems to me that she's better off breaking, trying

01:36to get a decent position, but then letting her get into her own rhythm, not forcing things

01:40too much.

01:41And when she wants to go, you let her go.

01:44So Robert Masterson has, you know, he's basically given me everything.

01:50Teppan was with me from day one.

01:53Robert obviously owns her, and she was the filly that kind of gave me the confidence

01:58to go out on my own.

01:59Robert was the only owner at the very beginning that, when I went on my own, sent me horses.

02:05And he stuck with me, and here we are.

02:08So I'm hoping we reward his confidence.

02:11But my dad always, when I went on my own, he kept talking about how he couldn't wait

02:15till the day where we started running against each other in these marquee races, and here's

02:19our first opportunity, and it's a very cool opportunity.

02:23To me, it means everything.

02:24So I'm born and raised here in Louisville.

02:26I mean, to me, the Kentucky Oaks is the only race that matters more to me than the Kentucky

02:32Oaks is obviously the Kentucky Derby.

02:34Like I said, it's a holiday here in Louisville.

02:37I have all my friends and family are from here.

02:40They may not know what the Breeders' Cup Classic is, but they know what the Kentucky Oaks is,

02:44and you know, if we were able to win that, they'd look at me like a rock star.

02:49I think the filly is training so incredibly well.

02:53She looks great, her coat's great, she seems happier than ever, and I know we're ready.

03:01So I'm sure I'm going to be extremely nervous the morning of, but right now, I'm just trying

03:07to enjoy the ride.

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