Nine horses with local ties to Ocala/Marion County are expected to be part of the Run for the Roses — the Kentucky Derby — and the Kentucky Oaks, scheduled for May 1 and 2 in Kentucky, according to a news release from the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company.
Five of the nine horses are entered in the Derby, with a sixth listed as also eligible if one of the 20 horses — the maximum allowed — is withdrawn from the race.
The remaining three horses are in the field of 14 — the maximum allowed — for the Oaks, according to the release.
The Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown, followed by the Preakness and the Belmont.
OBS officials said the connection of the nine horses to Marion County/Ocala — labeled the Horse Capital of the World — is that they are graduates of its well-known auctions held annually at 1701 SW 60th Ave. in Ocala.
The races
Both races are run on dirt and are Grade 1, or G1, races — the highest level of competition.
The Derby, scheduled for May 2 at approximately 6:57 p.m., is 1¼ miles long and carries a $5 million purse. The Oaks, set for May 1 at approximately 8:40 p.m., is 1⅛ miles with purse money of $1.5 million.
For the Derby, the horses are Intrepido, So Happy, The Puma, Silent Tactic and Further Ado, with Corona de Oro listed as also eligible.
Silent Tactic’s trainer, Mark Casse, was elected OBS board chairman in February. A dual Hall of Famer, Casse and his wife, Tina, oversee Casse Racing operations in Ocala, OBS officials said.
Post positions for the Derby were drawn April 25, with Intrepido drawing post No. 3; So Happy, post No. 8; The Puma, post No. 9; Silent Tactic, post No. 13; and Further Ado, post No. 18.
Of the six horses, the release states Intrepido, So Happy, The Puma, Silent Tactic and Further Ado have won important stakes races that awarded points needed to qualify for the Derby.
Oaks draw and the horses history
Four of the six Derby horses — Intrepido, The Puma, Silent Tactic and Further Ado — were OBS April 2025 purchases, according to the release. So Happy was sold at the OBS March 2025 sale, and Corona de Oro was part of the OBS October 2024 Yearling Sale. Sale prices show buyers paid a total of $1.83 million for the six horses.
In the Oaks, the horses entered in the field are Counting Stars, My Miss Mo and Dazzling Dame.
Counting Stars drew post No. 4; My Miss Mo, post No. 6; and Dazzling Dame, post No. 7. Casse trains Counting Stars.
The total sale price for the trio was $515,000, OBS officials said.
My Miss Mo and Dazzling Dame came from the OBS March 2025 sale, while Counting Stars was part of the April OBS sale, officials said.
OBS winners
Historically, OBS officials said there have been three Derby winners to come through the sales.
They are Lil E. Tee in 1992, Silver Charm in 1997 and I’ll Have Another in 2012.
OBS sales have also produced two Oaks winners: Blind Luck in 2010 and Plum Pretty the following year.
Success for OBS graduates is not limited to the Derby or the Oaks.
On April 18, White Abarrio, a 7-year-old horse sold at the OBS 2020 Winter Mixed Sale for $40,000, won the $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap by defeating Horse of the Year Sovereignty and Journalism, officials said. A winner of major races such as the Pegasus World Cup and the Breeders’ Cup Classic, White Abarrio has career earnings of $8.44 million, according to OBS officials.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: 9 horses with Ocala ties among Kentucky Derby and Oaks entries
Reporting by Austin L. Miller, Ocala Star-Banner / Ocala Star-Banner
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
