It’s Witchcraft Gives Trainer Mark Casse His 4,000th Career Win In Dramatic Fashion At Colonial

[Wandering Eyes]

Dual Hall-of-Fame Trainer Mark Casse picked up the 4,000th win in his illustrious career when D. J. Stable's It's Witchcraft (Tapit) prevailed by a nose in a three-horse photo finish in the 11th race at Colonial Downs July 17.

Assistant Nick Tomlinson posed in the winner's circle with the sign congratulating Casse on the milestone score. Casse was at his Saratoga base where he had numerous chances to pick up the win there.

“That was a close one. It's unbelievable to me to be honest. 4,000 that's a lot of wins and I joked that that means I lost a lot (of races), too,” Casse said from Saratoga. “For someone like me, who has spent my entire life–this is all I've ever done, this is the cherry on top. I told my wife I'd retire if hit 5,000–she doesn't believe me, so I said maybe 6,000.”

The score was also number 2,600 for owner D.J. Stable, who have teamed with Casse on runners like champion 2-year-old filly Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief), GSW Webslinger (Constitution) and MGSW Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro).

11th-Colonial Downs, $73,200, Alw, 7-17, (NW2L), 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:37.48, fm, nose.
IT'S WITCHCRAFT (f, 3, Tapit–Lady's Island {MGSW, $665,575}, by Greatness) became Mark Casse's 4,000th career winner Thursday in dramatic fashion at Colonial Downs. This seven-figure daughter of Tapit, who earned a black-type placing as a juvenile in the Our Dear Peggy Stakes at Gulfstream over he same distance, was coming off back to back stakes runs and was last fourth going 1/16th longer in the Martha Washington at Gulfstream June 7. Cutting back to the mile Thursday and racing without blinkers, It's Witchcraft split the field around the clubhouse turn before making headway towards the front to challenge for the lead past the half-mile pole in :49.90. Caught between runners in a thrilling stretch duel, It's Witchcraft just prevailed by the narrowest of margins over Ambaya (Ghostzapper) to give Casse the win. The first foal out of MGSW Lady's Island who herself RNA'd at KEENOV in 2023 for $575,000, It's Witchcraft has three full-brothers all still to race behind her. Lady's Island went back to Tapit for another full-sibling in 2026. Sales History: $1,100,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SP, 9-2-2-1, $124,833. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-D. J. Stable LLC; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds LTD. (KY); T-Mark E. Casse.

Trainer @markecasse gets his 4,000th career win!

It's Witchcraft gets the headbob in R11 at @colonialdowns! @jockeygallardo was aboard.

#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/OgauB1l3Sq

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) July 17, 2025

The post It’s Witchcraft Gives Trainer Mark Casse His 4,000th Career Win In Dramatic Fashion At Colonial appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

View the full article