Silent Tactic, Casse Fillies Put Bow on Derby/Oaks Prep

For 3-year-old colt Silent Tactic and 3-year-old fillies Counting Stars and Search Party, there will likely be no more important race in their careers than their impending starts in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1). That is why trainer Mark Casse felt a little extra pressure when he sent the trio out for their final breezes April 23. "This is one of those nerve-wracking mornings because you're so close, yet you're so far," Casse said. Not far from Casse—in his pocket—was his lucky piece of Saratoga wood. The dual Hall of Famer said he doesn't go anywhere without it, and he had it in hand as he watched his sophomores Thursday morning. "I've always knocked on wood. You can see where I've rubbed it," he said. "I wore it down some already today." But the wood did its job and all three worked to Casse's liking, completing their half-mile breezes with no issues. The fillies were first just as the track opened at 5:15 a.m. ET, Tracy Farmer's Search Party breezing in :47 3/5 under jockey Cristian Torres and West Point Thoroughbreds' Counting Stars going :48 3/5 soon after beneath exercise rider Froylan Garcia. Then, at the special Derby and Oaks contenders training time around 7:15 a.m. ET, Torres guided John Oxley's Silent Tactic through a half-mile in :48. "Everything went great," Casse said. "Search Party worked phenomenal. Counting Stars, we know we have to slow her down because we know she'll go too fast. I thought Silent Tactic did great. He didn't take a deep breath." Cristian Torres Living Derby Dream Torres flew in from Oaklawn Park for the works, leaving later in the day to return to Arkansas to ride over the weekend. The 28-year-old learned to ride at Casse's training center and his brother still rides horses for Casse. "You couldn't ask for a more wonderful young man," Casse said. "He's worked hard, he does very well." A year ago, it looked as though Torres might be headed for his first Kentucky Derby mount aboard Sandman. However, after a third in the Rebel Stakes (G2), Casse made the difficult decision to replace the young rider with Jose Ortiz for the Arkansas Derby (G1). Sandman won that race and went on to finish seventh under Ortiz in the Kentucky Derby. "I just felt like maybe (Torres) wasn't quite ready yet," Casse said about the decision. "I said that to him, and I said, 'I promise you—this is going to hurt—but you're going to have many Derbies.' Little did we know it would be the next year." Torres has quickly risen up the ranks since beginning his career in 2019. Ten years earlier, he watched his first Kentucky Derby when Calvin Borel guided longshot Mine That Bird up the rail from last to win. The moment caught Torres' attention and started creating Derby dreams. "I remember watching the race and how he squeezed through on the rail and the excitement of Calvin Borel going to the wire knowing he was going to win the race," Torres said. "I told myself, 'One day, I'll be there.' And here I am." Torres witnessed his first in-person Kentucky Derby when Mystik Dan took the roses in 2024. A few hours earlier, he accomplished a personal milestone of winning his first grade 1 aboard Gun Pilot in the Churchill Downs Stakes (G1). As he sat aboard Silent Tactic walking out of the Lukas Gap Thursday morning, he took a moment to appreciate where he was, seeing the special Derby and Oaks saddle towels on all the horses that surrounded him. "When I walked onto the track with the horse, I was looking around and seeing all the horses for the Oaks and the Derby," Torres said. "I couldn't really believe I was here. I'm actually living my dream, everything that I dream of. I cannot even put into words how I feel like now." Despite that awe, Torres was calm and collected in the saddle. He has ridden Silent Tactic in his last three starts, beginning with a win in the Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 6, and has built a strong relationship with the son of Tacitus. "I feel that Silent Tactic and I have connected very well, and we communicate very well during the races," Torres said. "He's a horse that will do anything I ask him to do. I'm very, very confident with him." That connection was on display Thursday morning as Silent Tactic sailed over the track, posting splits of :12 and :24 before galloping out 5 furlongs in 1:01. "He worked awesome. The way he did it was real easy," Torres said. "He was enjoying it, was real happy over the track. Honestly, the gallop out—I really loved the way he galloped out. Hopefully, he does that in the race. I know he's going to give me 100% when he goes out there." The jockey was also pleased with Search Party's work early in the morning. Likely to be a longshot following a pair of defeats that followed her Martha Washington Stakes win in February at Oaklawn, Torres believes she's ready to fire her best shot May 1. "It's one of the best works she has done," he said. "Going into the race, I feel like she's going better than ever the way she worked this morning. I love the way she runs. She can be in front, she can stalk the pace, and I love that about her." Once in the jocks' room preparing for the biggest rides of his life, it is likely Torres will be feeling an intense amount of pressure. But throughout his career he has managed to find the perfect relaxation tool. If you see the competitor by his locker with his headphones in, you might expect him to be listening to something high-paced that can hype him up. Instead, Torres chooses to relax his mind before races by listening to classical piano music, especially the pieces of Ludovico Einaudi. "It calms me down," Torres said. "I've done it for a couple years, and it has worked out for me."