LOUISVILLE, Ky. _ Mark Casse swears he never lost faith in War of Will's Kentucky Derby prospects, not after a startling ninth-place finish in the Louisiana Derby and not as the colt dealt with nagging health troubles in the ensuing days.
"I told (owner) Gary Barber a day or two after, I said, 'Don't worry, we're going to get there,' " the trainer recalled.
Even the news that his horse had drawn the dreaded No. 1 post for Saturday's race did not sway Casse's faith.
"Unfortunately, the one post I didn't want was the one I got," he said Thursday. "But I've been watching a lot of races from the No. 1 hole in the Derby, and maybe it's not that bad."
Casse noted that the win percentage for horses that start on the rail is actually good. War of Will's break from the starting gate will be essential. If he avoids being trapped, he'll likely be on or near the lead early in the race. After 50 yards, Casse will have a good sense of his fate.
"This is my 40th year," he said. "I've seen it all and nothing surprises me. It's the old saying of you play the hand you're dealt. We have our plan."
War of Will enabled Casse to remain calm with a sensational breeze Saturday over the dirt at Churchill Downs. His workouts, combined with his victories in two graded stakes earlier this year, make him a popular potential bet at 15-1 odds in the morning line. It doesn't hurt that he works with none of the tempestuous personality that Casse's gifted contender, Classic Empire, flashed in 2017.
"I know what he's made of," Casse said. "Everybody else got to see a little glimpse of it when he breezed. Everybody was like, 'Whoa!' And I said, 'You got to see a little bit of what I've been seeing for a long time.' "
