The Kentucky Derby will be held May 3 at Churchill Downs in Kentucky. As usual, multiple horses in the field have Ocala or Marion County connections.
Has any horse with Marion County ties won the Kentucky Derby?
Yes. To name two: In 2024, Mystik Dan which was trained at Silverleaf Hills Training Center, won the Run For the Roses.
In 2022, Rich Strike, a late entrant to the derby field, won the race. He had his early training at Mayberry Farm in Ocala.
Mark Casse discusses Sandman
Mark Casse, who has Casse Training Center in Ocala, calls himself “an Ocala boy” who moved to the area when he was 5. He’s now 64.
Sandman is the most expensive horse in the field. It sold for $1.2 million at the 2024 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. When asked about the high expectations for Sandman, Casse said: “He has already overachieved. He owes us nothing.”…