Bring Theband Home Turns Troy into One Man Parade

[Wandering Eyes]

Bring Theband Home (Into Mischief) is a Saratoga boy through and through, giving the field the slip and strolling home to claim the GII Troy Stakes while also keeping his perfect record at the Spa intact.

With the exception of his shortened sophomore season in 2023, the Mark Casse runner had made a return to Saratoga every year since his juvenile season, and every year returned to his homebase in Florida with a win to his credit. The most recent appearance was July 4 when he took the Harvey Pack Stakes gate-to-wire–much like he did here–over a salty field of seasoned veterans and rocketed home in a blistering :59.90 for 5 1/2 furlongs.

Bumped at the start by Twenty Six Black (War Dancer), Bring Theband Home had to coaxed along to show the way, but recovered well to lead through an opening quarter in :21.38 and had covered four furlongs on the turn in :43.39. Riding the fence as they swung for home, he had built up a clear advantage on the rest of his competition and while Twenty Six Black was valiantly trying to close the gap, the smallest he could get it to was 1 1/2 lengths. Determined Kingdom (Animal Kingdom) was another length behind that one in third.

“I think he's [getting] better,” said Casse. “I think also the cooler weather–he thrives up here. He looks magnificent. I don't think he's ever looked better. I was a little worried about regression and we probably got a little today, but it was still good enough.”

“He's fast and he's a big horse–he's 17-hands tall.”

When asked about any potential plans to point toward the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, Casse said, “Another one or two races probably and we'll try to get there. He's got enough [earnings] now to get in. I think he likes it [the turf] the harder the better. He went one-tenth off the world record [last out] so you know it was pretty hard. I think this turf still has a little give in it right now, just a little.”

“It means the world to me, especially with Javier [Castellano aboard],” said Charlotte Weber of Live Oak Plantation. “He's my neighbor up here in Saratoga and a friend. This makes history for both of us, together.”

“Mark [Casse] is a terrific trainer. I haven't been disappointed. I have had a good meet so far, so I'm not complaining. I want to keep rolling through the year. This horse is getting better as he's getting older. He's getting smarter.”

 

Pedigree Notes:

Bring Theband Home is the first to the races for Tizatude, a half-sister to the late GISW Paynter (Awesome Again). That pair are themselves out of a full-sister to Hall of Famer Tiznow (Cee's Tizzy), named Tizso. The victor is the only one to the races for their dam thus far as Tiz Tiz Tiz (Curlin) went unraced and the next of age is the juvenile Souper Power Tapit (Tapit). There is also a yearling filly in the wings named Souper Taylor (Constitution).

This female family is a busy one as names on the honor roll include the likes of MGSW Tarifa (Bernardini); MGSW Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile); GISW Sweet Azteca (Sharp Azteca); and GISW Oxbow (Awesome Again) as well as his full-brother GSP Awesome Patriot.

 

Sunday, Saratoga
TROY S.-GII, $300,000, Saratoga, 8-3, 3yo/up, 5 1/2fT, 1:00.38, fm.
1–BRING THEBAND HOME, 124, g, 5, by Into Mischief
            1st Dam: Tizatude, by Street Cry (Ire)
            2nd Dam: Tizso, by Cee's Tizzy
            3rd Dam: Cee's Song, by Seattle Song
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Live Oak Plantation; B-Live Oak Stud (FL); T-Mark E. Casse; J-Javier Castellano. $165,000. Lifetime Record: 13-6-3-1, $506,764. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Twenty Six Black, 122, g, 5, War Dancer–Brazo de Oro, by First Dude. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Roger Cimbora, Jr.; B-Roger Cimbora (NY); T-Horacio De Paz. $60,000.
3–Determined Kingdom, 122, g, 6, Animal Kingdom–Filia, by Fastnet Rock (Aus). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($47,000 Ylg '20 EASOCT; $190,000 5yo '24 KEENOV). O-The Estate of R. Larry Johnson; B-Audley Farm Equine, LLC (VA); T-Michael J. Trombetta. $36,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.65, 10.80, 14.00.
Also Ran: Alogon, Senbei, Let My People Go, Our Shot. Scratched: Full Moon Madness. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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