Ep.71- C.W. "Bubba" Cascio - Hall Of Fame Trainer

QH Racing Talk–Weekly presents a special archival episode featuring the late Hall of Fame trainer C.W. "Bubba" Cascio, one of the most influential horsemen in the history of Quarter Horse racing. Recorded prior to his passing in 2022, Episode 71 offers listeners the opportunity to hear Cascio reflect on his remarkable career and the horses that helped shape the sport.

Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:02

Ladies and gentlemen aboard Flight 101 on Quarter Horse Racing Talk Weekly Airways. At this time, we ask that you please take your seats and fasten your seatbelt. To fasten your seatbelt, insert the metal fitting into the buckle and pull on the loose end of the strap to tighten it. And as an attitude, put on your headphones as the producers of Stallion E-Search bring the newest episode of the number one quarter horse racing podcast in the Western Hemisphere. Quarter Horse Racing Talk Weekly. And by the way, you'll be good to know that Stallion ESearch 2.0 is officially launching this August. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight of the next generation of Quarter Horse Racing's premier online destination. This is Quarter Horse Racing Talk Weekly for Thursday, July 24th.

SPEAKER_07 0:48

And hello again, everyone, I'm Greg Thompson of StallionESearch.com, and this is Quarter Horse Racing Talk Weekly.

SPEAKER_09 0:55

And I'm Bailey Ivy.

SPEAKER_07 0:57

Bailey, we're right around the corner for all this sales season stuff, and I know you've been super busy with taking yearling pictures and all the things that are going on headed right into this yearling season. Of course, the TQHA sale starts us out this coming weekend, and I know you're gonna be there in the hot sun there in in San Antonio, and I'll be thinking about you when I'm here in the air conditioning, of course.

SPEAKER_09 1:20

Well, Greg, I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_07 1:21

You know, Bailey, with this job of doing the podcast and with the topics that we covered, I'm riddled with regret sometimes.

SPEAKER_09 1:28

What do you mean by that?

SPEAKER_07 1:30

Well, and I'm often told that I need to get off my butt and go talk to some of these people that potentially don't have this much longer to be around to tell the stories that I could capture on the podcast and share it with the Quarter Horse Racing World. And so I've I've missed several of them, but this one here, I was able to to I knew I had it somewhere. And you know, I I wouldn't say that I just have an endless supply of these types of recordings, but I knew I had this one somewhere and I finally found it.

SPEAKER_09 2:00

Greg, if you have all of these treasures at your house, I guess I'm gonna have to come over there and help you dig up some of them.

SPEAKER_07 2:05

Yes, bring a shovel, Bailey. This one here is with none other than Hall of Fame trainer Bubba Cassio. Uh Bubba was 87 at the time that I did the interview, and he had uh not too long ago before that it actually had a stroke, and and I was able to talk with Judy Cassio, his wife, and she said, Yeah, just call, get him on the phone, and and he'd love to talk with you. And I just for some reason, even and back in the day I wasn't doing the podcast, and for whatever reason, I decided to, you know, I should probably record this. So I put on the recorder and captured the sound and and I forgot about it. I actually even thought it was a small, tiny interview, and I didn't even know if it would be appropriate for the podcast. But after hearing it, it was I got way more than I ever expected. Of course, looking back, I wish I would have asked these questions and I you know, I should have gone in this direction. I should have asked Bubba more about this or that, but it is what it is. But I I'll do say this out of all the interviews that I do, Bailey, the ones with the people that are no longer with us are the ones that people come up and start talking the most to me about.

SPEAKER_09 3:10

I think that it's because there's so much history behind these people.

SPEAKER_07 3:14

Yes, we're not talking about just the average Joe. It's usually the Hall of Fame, the the headline maker of years past. That's who I'm talking about. And on this podcast, Bubba talks about various topics from from his days of being in the cutting horse world, and most people don't know this, but Bubba started out as a jockey, and all the way to his years as going through Dasher Cash, to his thoroughbred years, and all it it's all covered in this interview, and I can't wait to bring it to you guys. So without further ado, let's get out of the way and get to a commercial so we can get to the interview with Hall of Fame trainer Bubba Casquio.

SPEAKER_03 3:52

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SPEAKER_03 4:17

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SPEAKER_07 4:40

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SPEAKER_04 5:08

Okay, back to the podcast.

SPEAKER_07 5:10

Alright, we're back, ready to jump in. The featured guest here, and it is Hall of Fame trainer Bubba Cassio, who passed away in 2022 in his 90th year of life. And I was blessed to be able to get him on the phone. And as mentioned in the intro, it was from an assist from his wife Judy, who I talk to from time to time to this day, about one of the racing legends who carved a huge path there in quarter horse racing, especially through the sixties and the seventies, with huge wins in the All-American Futurity from his first win in 68, with three O's with Jerry Nicodemus aboard on over to 1970 with Rocket Wrangler, another Jerry Nicodemus ridden horse getting to the wire there on Labor Day. But both of those two horses pale in comparison to the big horse of Bubba Casio's career on the quarter horse side, and that would have been, of course, Dash Rach. And clearly if I had known then what I know now, I'd have definitely got more out of him about concerning the big horse of Dash Rikash. I mean that could have been two podcasts probably put together of all the information he could have told me about that great horse. But I'm very blessed to have what I have to present to you here on Quarter Horse Racing Talk Weekly. And I will tell you this, through this, the stories about Jerry Nicodemus, as well as Dash Rikash are worth you taking the time to listen to this. So without further ado, I hope you enjoy this one. As this was recorded two years prior to his death, as I bring to you the podcast with five-time Hall of Fame trainer Bubba Cassio. Bubba, thanks for getting on here and talking with me about your career. And let's start off with this fifth uh induction into a Hall of Fame throughout your career, this one going into the Cutting Horse Hall of Fame, which was n just most recently announced.

SPEAKER_13 7:02

Yeah, well, you know, uh uh I'm I'm pretty fortunate for people be as nice to me as they've been, and I appreciated all all of them. Uh the one that that I really wanted to get was the last one. I I was there for a while, and uh, you know, back there when this horses were holding for the horse horse a year and everything, they're just making all the stock shows, you know. San Antonio, Houston, uh, Dallas and all that and and uh Fort Worth and all that, you know. And uh Rose was a was a my best friend, you know, in the in the whole world.

SPEAKER_07 7:51

Right.

SPEAKER_13 7:52

And uh he passed away. And London guy that I I rode with uh back there, then they're all gone. Uh Buster Wilts are still in, he's at 91. And I'm I'm 87, so I'm getting right on up there with him, you know. I just happy to get in there with him. And Buster and Metlock had won four or five uh world champions themselves. But those big stock shows were where you you know really made all the money and uh back there then. And I made I won uh I mean 15 of them dang things. And they won both of them together, they they won eleven. So, you know, I was I was up in the world there too in that good north here, and I I really loved it if because we were set with the people, you know what I'm saying? We weren't missed with a a bunch of uh politicians. I was I was glad to get in there with them and and uh the the people that wrote letters for me. There were people that I really liked and and you know and uh I really appreciated it.

unknown 9:00

And we got that behind us, so I don't think I'm gonna get any more.

SPEAKER_07 9:07

Bubba, I'm I'm familiar with you, of course, as a quarter horse trainer, and I'm very familiar with you as a thirdbed trainer. That was Bird. I used to to be on the third bed side before I became a quarter horse reporter. Uh where did the cutting horse part of your career, where was that? Is that bef prior to your quarter horse uh racing career?

SPEAKER_13 9:26

Yeah, yes, you know, I got uh uh I was working for Mr. Lester Goodson, he was the best president of the AQHA. And uh I yeah, my dad was training his race horses, and I was riding them uh uh his horses and Johnny Ferguson's horses. And uh they got Mavlock Rose in there to do the cutting and the ringing and cutting, roping and all that, the performance horses. And I got after Mablock was there three or four years, I'd got too dang heavy to ride anymore, so that's when I got on the cut on the cut horses. And uh he he taught me most of all of it and got me started and all that kind of business, you know.

SPEAKER_07 10:10

What year was that in in in what range of years was that, Bubba, in the in the c in your cutting horse world uh days?

SPEAKER_13 10:16

Uh 50s, 60s, and and part of the 70s.

SPEAKER_07 10:20

Part of the 70s. So you were you were essentially doing both. You mean you were not only doing racehorse training, you were also doing cutting horse at the same time.

SPEAKER_13 10:29

Yeah, uh race horse is more than afternoon. I work my cutting horse.

SPEAKER_07 10:34

I see. So, Bubba, that leads me to the next question. You you on the racehorse side, you started out as a jockey. Talk to me about your time as a rider, and uh how do you think that being a rider first helped you become the horseman that you are today?

SPEAKER_13 10:49

Well, uh I started out with an old man, uh, he's a thoroughbred man, his name was Will McCowan, and he got me job in horses for me for him, and I went to East St. Louis in in 1947, first of 47, and to to learn more about the thirdbirds, because you know that's where the money was. And uh I wanted to come back finish school, so when I got back, I got to ride the court horses because there wasn't no thirdbird down in here anyway. Del Rio was a uh Los Alamitas back there then. We we sent you a picture to I got it.

SPEAKER_07 11:28

I did.

SPEAKER_13 11:29

And uh you do you see that the Grand State house full of people?

SPEAKER_07 11:33

Yes.

SPEAKER_13 11:34

And that was back in 47 now. So you know that was a big deal there to have Miss Princess and all those horses.

unknown 11:42

That's where they run. There in Arizona.

SPEAKER_13 11:46

And uh I'll give you a little story right quick. Uh I was sitting that that town didn't have but one little motel in it, and all the the goods, the whiteheads, uh, the warlords, and and uh they had all the rooms when the race got there. There was a rich people. So the trailers, the jockeys, we we we we uh slept in the barn there in the trailers and stuff like that. And one evening this old man came up to me. There's an old man come around. He said, son said uh, I've been watching you run a little bit, but I got a little fitting I'm gonna run Sunday. I sure get you to, uh I sure like to get you to ride it for me. And I said, Okay, sir, I'll sure do it. I don't have any two-year-olds in the race. So he said, Come around here on last other side, I'll show it to you. He was in the same barn we were, so I walked in there, and those old stalls doors were pretty tall for a little guy anyway. And I got to get up on the tool to look at her. I said, Man, she's not very big. He said, No, she's not, sir, but she can really run up. So we went down there, and when I kicked the gate on Saturday, I was about to five home. I run about a hundred yards, I said, damn, I my gate must come up. And I looked on both sides of them and there's horses behind me. She just ran off from. So when that meet was over, we always went on to El Paso. And we went on to El Paso, they had them for two weeks race there. So they kept every day in that mass over mouse. They had a two-year-old rope coaching that running any two-year-old in the world for 5,220 yards. And they kept on it. Everybody got sick of them talking about it. So this old man came back there one more and said, son, I want you to ride one more race for me. I said, All right, so what you got? He said, That little Philly. I said, I'm tired of less. He said, I got 5,000. He said, I'm gonna see, we'll see how fast he is. So we they ran this, go to this Philly, 250 yards. And I beat him all about a half a cent ahead. And uh what happened there, that little Philly uh turned out to be Mr. Husker. And the man was dead yet. He owned both hands back in them days. You and uh so uh the first three coaches that Murray had was all world champions. Landis Flash, Venevar, and Vanita D. So that was a pretty pretty deal for back in them days.

SPEAKER_15 14:34

We'll be right back after these words from our sponsors.

SPEAKER_00 14:39

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SPEAKER_05 15:25

All right, we've held your spot. Let's get back to where we left off. Mr. Cassio was talking about the early days as a race rider.

SPEAKER_13 15:33

And then another little deal there. Johnny Ferguson can miss May West and Lil Dick Priest for a quarter of a mile for 10,000. And what they'd do, they'd have about uh seven or eight races today, and then in between the races, they'd have a match racing, you know. So they we run that horse, Lil Dick Priest, but with May West a quarter of a mile for 10,000. And that was Johnny Ferguson's mirror. And Lil Dick Priest beat me about a half a side. And this May West went on to become Hustling Mann's granddad who won the All-American.

SPEAKER_07 16:14

Right, won the All-American.

SPEAKER_13 16:16

And then that that little mirror, both of them mirrors, when I wrote them, they didn't even have real doctors even started.

SPEAKER_07 16:25

So that was pretty good a little bit of absolutely way back history there, Bubba.

SPEAKER_13 16:30

But I went on there and I got too heavy, and that's when I went to I was still with Mr. Gibson. And then when Metlock uh left there and went to Prazelles, well I got the the job there, the cutting or turn in uh uh there, Mr. Gibson's.

SPEAKER_07 16:46

Bubba, I know that you've seen a lot of the history of quarter horse racing, but how much do you pay attention to the current state of quarter horse racing? And and where do you think that uh Bubba Cassio w would have fit in in the you know like the current environment of quarter horse racing?

SPEAKER_13 17:02

Well, uh I think I've been there pretty good because I uh I'm a pretty good politician, and I always had the best owners. Or I had uh B. F. Phillips, uh J.R. Adams, uh Lewis Brooks, I had some uh D had uh Dee's horses for a while, and I had some uh French horses for a while, and I had you know the best owners so to speak. And uh, you know, if you if you know how to train a race horse, you'll never forget that. And uh so the the popular about it nowadays, to me, it's not the popular sport because in the last few years, all it was was just uh who's gonna get ruled off and who wasn't, you know. So, you know, there's this there's surreal elements there that that's keeping us back. Here's the thing about it. If everybody quit this year, the good horses will still win. Just float right to the top.

SPEAKER_07 18:05

Bubba, um uh shifting gears. I would like to talk about Dash Rakash. Obviously, he's uh he's a legendary runner, not only on the on the track, but he's you know, obviously our our cornerstone in the in the sire ranks. Will you kind of reflect with me about Dash Rakash and tell me what kind of a horse Dash Rakash was and what kind of legacy he's left?

SPEAKER_13 18:27

Well, his legacy's been uh in in racing and breeding also, you know.

SPEAKER_08 18:33

Right.

SPEAKER_13 18:34

And uh back there then, you know, they talked about these horses running so fast. Now, uh, you know, when this horse run is 2117, I had told Jerry, I said, when you get in front of a certain horse in that race, I want you to get up and I want you to look back at him. He said, I can do that, boss. Well, when he got in front, that's just what he'd done. If you look in that picture, this horse's mouth is stretched back just a little bit, and Jerry's heels are down where he's pulling on this horse. You know, it's a pretty uh famous picture. And he held this record for over 20 years, you know. And but let me give you a little bit of deal here now. A little more history if you like it. Do you know uh how uh first down dash got here in the world? There's a new man that I had some Appaloosa horses for. I have a little trouble with my horse today. No worries. No worries. I had a I had a stroke here about two or three years ago when I get hanged up a little bit. But but anyway, with the BF when they sold him out when Ed Dan had that split. And then sold him, just sold him about all two horses before that. I was talking to BF. And here comes an old boy up to BF and he said, BF, you gonna have to take this damn horse back? He said, What horse you talking about? He said, This uh this little damn uh first down dash. He said, What are you talking about? I got to pay you back. He said, Well, he got a parent mouse. He said, Well, they they uh announced it in the sale, didn't you hear it? He said, No, I didn't. He said, Well, they announced it twice. And so it got pretty swell. I don't want to come and say you're gonna have to pay you back. And I said, Well, I I don't know whether I'm gonna pay you back enough. He said, Well, we're gonna have to talk about that. He said, Hell they've done themselves. So uh really, she around BFC always ahead of the man off. She walked up, put her hand around and said, No, Randy, honey, said this million to me. And that's how she got him. Billy told himself, and he made a seven pound for it. Mr. Cash Horse, he was a uh a natural runner, he loved the run. Uh he he laid down the stall probably 75% uh during the daytime. He he he rested himself all the time. He never made any mistakes whatsoever. And you know, out of all my training that I've done on horses, out of all of that uh all my three-year-olds and two-year-olds, I never had a horse tucked down. They stood in the gate and broke and run straight. And uh I'm very proud of that part of my training. And I think uh with Jerry and Academic on the back. And uh in our training, we we got it done.

SPEAKER_07 21:46

Mm-hmm. Bubba, he's he's considered one of the top, Bubba, but you know, he uh do you think perhaps if he would have won the All American Futurity or maybe the All American Derby that we would even be t talking? about him even in higher ranks. I mean he would be you know he's already what we would call a legend but if he would have won the the big ones.

SPEAKER_13 22:09

Well here's what happened there. It rained all night long and all all morning long. And that's when we had just one one day races. Uh-huh and there were 47 or six races that day. And he drove the first race of the day. And he went by two or three lengths just air to him. And it rained up to about noon and about two o'clock the sun came out dragging a track and by four o'clock they're kicking up dust. And there wasn't a horse that day qualified until after the 11th race. So that'll tell you something what happened there.

SPEAKER_07 22:49

Riodoso reared its ugly head again.

SPEAKER_13 22:51

Yes sir it got it but you know this horse people don't r remember a horse what he done in the first part of his life he was what he done in the last part whether he's a his last race was a a big winner or he went out of the stun horse you know what I'm saying? Yeah he was a he was a magnificent horse.

SPEAKER_07 23:14

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SPEAKER_04 23:57

Okay, back to the podcast.

SPEAKER_07 24:00

One of the things that a lot of horsemen that I've asked and talked to about your ability as a horseman is just the way you get on with a horse and the way that a lot of your horses are broke and ready to go at first asking. Talk to me about your training philosophy.

SPEAKER_13 24:17

Uh the way I do my folks when I get them broke, they never go in the starting gate I know that that when you turn them down and drop them down they they'll fall in that ground and can really run. When you break them away from the gate the second time they hit the ground they know what they're doing. They can get in the ground and run. Have you ever been around people where they carry them things and kick the gate and they'd be running all over the track and and be whooping on them trying to get them to run. You know it's a you know damn well if a horse knows how to run when you kick that gate he's gonna be but way better off. I I didn't have to have to run in a school and race if I went to Mendoza I was ready to run. And uh but you know it it you got to get a horse broke before you can run him and uh we had a big circle we used to go I I put them three or four boards on them let them go down the road and they had a it goes through a pasture around another bend and come back and they had a big old store there in a little town called Gushman right out of Tombaugh where I had my it had a big porch across the front of it big old merchandise court and had them big old poles you know that had that holds up the porch they had a porch across that bum across that you know what I'm talking about. Yes sir and then come up there at the more coach and tie up that post and go in there and get them soda water and a moon pie. And I come by there one day and I would see him go he won a force out here in all American that I wanted with rock and rain I run force that year. And both of them coats had tied to that post uh uh grocery store. I I wish I'd had this a picture of them two old coats tied with them hackamores to the to them damn little deal that I've been pretty pretty pretty good looking at.

SPEAKER_07 26:25

And I I I tie a cold up uh when I'm broke him uh uh when we gave him when he got him off the walk or whatever we're doing to him and uh I put him on the stall and and tie him up let him stand there about four or five hours and then turn him out you know for about 30 days of their first they learn to step there and and uh uh they got to stand they'll talk back on an old hawk and just sit there and sleep all morning in your career uh you know Wayne Lucas obviously went from the quarter horses to the thoroughbreds Bob Baffer did the transition Steve Asterson Todd Pletcher they're all a lot of them evolved from the quarter horse world you did the you converted the same you went from the quarter horses to the thoroughbreds talk to me about talk to me about that transition that was the worst deal I've ever done in my life but here's why I done it uh I you know we know how big Dr.

SPEAKER_13 27:23

Quarter horse the thoroughbreds we do and I said I'm gonna go back to Texas we got racing now and I'm gonna buy me a place fix me a training deal and I'm gonna put it sit I'm gonna get it where I can put it centrally located San Antonio three hours three and a half hours from here Oklahoma City three and a half Delta Down three and a half and I had the Houston right here 75 miles from here. Mm-hmm so I I could sit right here and train my therapist all year round because that I'd be within three and a half hours of any any track you're gonna be running all year long. And what happened? They had some good person here for the first two years after that left nothing. And I just went to hell and I sat with it you know then I I got a uh I got cyber cybertecholitis and they had to operate on me and I stayed in the hospital three months and uh I just never could get my feet on the ground anymore you know it it's uh it's been a it's been a good deal for me and but that's that's why I went to the third red I you know realistically it was the best thing right because I had I had some good third red horse.

SPEAKER_07 28:41

You did you ran in the Breeders' Cup one year.

SPEAKER_13 28:44

Yes and I I won a uh little horse called on Broadway.

SPEAKER_07 28:48

Mm-hmm. Yeah I went up there to Keeneland and won the the sprint yeah um Bubba another great story that uh you had told or somebody had told me at one time uh but I I would love for you to recount it about uh your connection with the the m only movie really about quarter horse racing in history is has been Casey Shadow and uh and I'd I'd I'd love for you to kind of recount the story and tell me about your connection with the the movie of Casey Shadow.

SPEAKER_13 29:18

Well they come in there and uh they uh uh you know have this movie and uh uh I met Walter Mouth I this uh other guy that the main character there and we got to talking and they needed some horses I said I I ain't got but eighty seven boy how many you need and they said oh uh we need ten for the gate you know and probably uh one or two more I said you got them so I got I I'll f I first all them deal for them and uh I had a horse up there that was a bald face horse belonged to Marvin Barnes. Uh his name was Mighty Wagon is a bald faced horse kind of like the little horse was so uh Marvin had come up there one day and we had this horse all wired up you know he's all had the colors on him and we were making a few hints on him and going with him and he said is that my horse yeah what the hell are we doing out here? We think we're all American with him he said what I said we think we're in all America with him and he said what the hell are you talking about all American I told him of course he got to laugh at about it then you know but anyway uh and the rest of them uh let's all be uh Philip sources yeah and both my sons were in the in the deal and there's uh parts in it you know little parts you're you're in it as well yeah just had there yeah just for a couple seconds yeah that I was uh usually the main character I just standing there talking to him made about pre-work to him I had s something in a jockey you know it wasn't uh making a lot of money you know right I got I got him come out there in the afternoon they'd make a little something there you know during the weekdays and so they'll make 'em about a hundred a piece a day you know nice at the time when that movie came out Bubba did you feel like that movie had an impact on maybe introducing quarter horse racing to not just to the nation yeah it did it really did you'd be surprised that that uh people that after that I seen it I've been seeing in that movie I've seen that thing three or four times you know like that and uh I thank my wife she she seen it about four or five times every time it she see it on she'll I'm gonna watch watch the horses run again tonight red dogs. What are you talking about? They ain't running real don't you know I I uh she talked about uh that little horse but you know that those um uh scenes in there about those Frenchmen you know? Yeah they're just like that and they just like that I I I met the horse down there one time a little old bay mare that they run at the track and uh she uh she ran two or three times there and and they said I said what what the keep running that little old mare there for I said that crazy but said let me tell you something she can't run any horse over here but don't ever match her let them turn her loose and I thought turn her loose so I had a horse called Mr. Pep and he's about a triple A battle horse he could run this old horse good 250 yards so I got to I messed him a thousand dollars 220 yards they they put a rooster on this I said you got to have something that tell me what they done they put this rooster on that mark bag well hell this horse of mine uh I know damn well he could have run his mark to the relationship and just uh watch a run on track with her and this boy I had on there he didn't weigh but eighty uh 71 pounds and this horse mine was he is uh 161 and weigh 1200 so he he I thought he was he could run him as fast as he could on that rooster you know but it wasn't how fast mine could run as high fast she'd run with with nothing on her back.

SPEAKER_17 33:32

That Mary I'd run me two or three lengths we we're running him lane over you know yes and they kicked the gate and man she was gone and that old boy somebody said I told you I told you don't run that mark I said well I won't I won't not join today no more you know let's start listening to the Cajuns from then on we'll be right back after these words from our sponsors Eagles Fly Higher stands at the Louisiana Center for Equine Reproduction and he's a grade one winner on the track who is now siring graded stakes winners like Eagle on a June bug winner of the grade three Sam Houston race park derby.

SPEAKER_07 34:10

Check him out Eagles Fly Higher Okay back to the podcast Bobby once told me about some of the early days of Texas racing that you had been there from from a very early part in your childhood back where there were racetracks that don't exist in the state of Texas any longer.

SPEAKER_13 34:29

I tell you what I'm gonna send you I got a picture of the Epsom down racetrack in Houston and I'll send it to you and it's got so many people you cannot believe. They're in Houston and I I I was there when they the day I I didn't know it my people told me about it you know but I was riding with my uncle my daddy worked on the track at the time and my uncle was riding uh he he was driving a water truck at the old up and down race track and I'm riding with him in the water truck I'm four years old this is 1936 I was there in the truck when it they told me about it when they uh uh announced that day that there would be no more racing in Texas that it the governor had and they had to shut it down but I just wanted to show you what the pro the crowds is even back there in 1936 at a racetrack.

SPEAKER_07 35:41

This track is made out of the old uh old Epson down racetrack in England they've built it just like that just like that a huge huge huge huge deal I'm gonna I'm gonna show you the picture the people are in my job I get a lot of uh uh a great opportunity to talk to the legends of the sport and talk with the people and and when I reflect upon them you know when the subject of Bubba Casio comes up they always say that Bubba was uh in their mind is probably one of the greatest horsemen that ever trained a uh running quarter horse. With that being said with all the accolations uh and and with your ability as a horseman that have put you in the five five Hall of Fames who would you say is the the horseman for you that you point to that that's the that was the one that uh that you admired wh as being a horseman that that trained quarter horses well you know I'd have to say Mablock Road you know but you're talking about the quarter horse running running horses yes sir.

SPEAKER_13 36:46

Yeah well I I'd have to say Blaine Swanfeld I I'll tell you about Blaine uh he was there every day and I read why I know that because I was every day and we'd be the only ones on the Sunday morning on our ponies out there with our horses and we'd sit there and talk for hours one at a time you know uh he'd talk a while I talk a while then we'd go back to the barn and uh one time uh I I left Los Alamedas uh sent him a horse to to break the maiden on the board told me he'd you he'd give certain money for him if he'd break the maiden on it. So I sent him out there to blame and uh he said uh uh I I'm not gonna send you no uh so this horse went in there he said I'm not gonna I'm not gonna send you any training mail on this horse oh yeah I'm gonna I done send you I had to put it in the mail because I knew the horse was sold and I said besides that I said I made five thousand on you he said that five thousand how could you make five thousand on me I I better know about five thousand other one that one of these days you'll be working for me I mean we'll get him out of him about his ability uh Bubba talk about Lane the the trainer oh uh uh well he he was a good horse to me he had a horse ready to run all the time you know and when he went up there he was ready to run and I and I learned out something about him that I didn't know here's here's the way I I I I I look at my deal uh when I was born uh I had a little natural ability in me I think you have to have a little of that and then you want to try go after the boy that you think is good people and smart people and and try to learn something from each one of them and put that with yours on it and you put two or three people with that you turn you know just like Matt Light Road I've done all my most training with quarter uh quarter horses rope roping and raining and shuttle and and I watched guys like him and and then and and and planes I I tried to you know I watch him and I I was watching him and he had screwed him horses the day before he run and I thought well what you know that that's silly he could get them uh crippled up or something you know and you be in the race but I I I watched him and and uh I see what they would get on here and and I got I got looking at everybody's done out there and he said well you know this really uh do something to your horse and that they'll they'll be more comfortable and and they'll walk in that gate stand uh much better the day before he said this I it just does something to them they just a better horse the next day they relax a whole lot better and my God I don't know what it does but that it's sure I mean my horse always I put that in my program I guess and I I don't know whether it's all that much but I I I never had no trouble.

SPEAKER_15 40:14

We'll be right back after these words from our sponsors.

SPEAKER_02 40:18

The AQHA Racing Challenge Championships bring together the sport's finest horses and horsemen for a day of high stakes competition.

SPEAKER_07 40:26

Join us October 15th through seventeenth 2026 for the AQHA Racing Conference where industry leaders share insights on the future of quarter horse racing heads up quarter horse racing world two words two syllables done ranch for sales prepping your yearlings and breeding stock it's done ranch for world class levels of Marecare from embryo transfer ixy cycle management to falling out services it's done ranch and then there's the top stallions in the country they're in Winniewood Oklahoma from grade one winning and grade one producing sire a revenant a political victory who's the brother to two time champion apolitical pince the red hot grade one producing sire Chileos the multiple grade one placed in hot pursuit the graded stakes winning son of one famous eagle juices loose and the grade one producing sire PYC fun and fancy it's Dun Ranch. They're in Winniewood Oklahoma check them out at Dunranch.com Okay back to the podcast although I would be remiss if I didn't uh get you to tell some of the great Nicodemus stories that probably you could only tell so talk about this Hall of Fame jockey and some of the success that you guys had together in your careers.

SPEAKER_13 41:53

And he had a ranked thumb gun to ride and uh I said uh boy I'll need somebody to ride this coach and a boy working for me JD great out he said there's a little boy come in down there up the horses for him said but I watched this boy ride man you think you talking about a shit to ride he can write when you come back here next week and bring him and I'll let him blow this coat if he gets wrong with him I'll put him on it. So he he got out and then he had his old head all down he didn't say nothing. I said how are you son? He said all right I said you watch the coat and if you you you we'll break him away at the gate and then if you like him you run him you ride him next Sunday. All right sir so he broke him back to gate and he he he had him straight right down that racetrack. So that Sunday came this horse broke away at the gate and the horse on the outside hit him and he went over that other horse and he went over the rail and broke his broke Jerry's leg right in the head. Goodness I mean terrible I said son I was putting in ambulance I said I got three more horses to run I said I'll be in the hospital as quick as I can be there. Oh don't worry about it I'll be all right so I went to the hospital right as soon as I got through and I said now look I said when do you think they'll be through I said well that's saying cool I can go home day after tomorrow I said well I'll be here I said I got a brand new state wagon we'll put a little mattress in there I'll turn that air conditioner on about 200 miles back home I said I'll carry you home I said I'm gonna pay all the hospital bills and everything he said oh I said you don't have to do that Mr. Catch on I've got I've got uh an insurance so I said well no I know I said you won't do that and he said then besides that my my girlfriend's gonna come up here and get me I said okay then I said I can't do nothing for you. I said, I'll be at Columbus when you get out of the hospital. We'll be able to run and come by and I'd like to see you. So he came by me and uh he came to see me and he's on crutches. And we talked around I said, what do you think you're gonna be able to run? Oh I don't know if it's gonna be a while. I said, what is it going to be about three of us? Real don't crank up I said, you wanna come out there and let's track? He said, yes sir, I sure would like that. So they came out there and I had him on the horse and wonderful. And they ran over the top of him knocked it down near off. In the next race I had another goat and they ran over that song butt. In the last race of the day I had another horse and they ran over that song bitch. So we was going back down the rail layer where you have to you used to have to go up down the rail area. I don't know if you remember that or not to get back to the paddock. So we're going back to the paddock and I said you ready to go home? He said what? I said you ready to go home? He said I don't know what you're talking about. I said look I can't go in there and whoop them jockeys they'll get me I'm too damn big for them to I said you you get the you get where they'll stay off of you or we'll go home so about two races later I was in a peta and uh Mr Redman he he was a valet there you know saddling horses old Red he came down there he had a saddle from my married we were putting it on him he said my God of money I said what's money he said that old kid you brought in here he said he who put one old kid and his friend got up and he whipped him and somebody tried him and he whipped that sort of buff he said he got three of them down in there I said you mean he said no sir he said I'm telling you he's a bad little so I looked at him coming out of the job room you know and he came around behind me because I'm still saddling on this man and I shouldn't see him where I started standing but he was right behind me and I never didn't request saddling this man. And I said, well what about we gonna stay or what we're gonna do here he said well so I'm sure I'm staying up there so if we live on my horse got a lot of air leaving that even something else I I just don't believe it is not a poor horse in the world that I'm not him I just don't hear he'd come down there and every morning he'd be done waiting on me and I wouldn't have to wait on him. And he'd never say a word we got through he would never say well how many of these things we got left you know and all that old crap he got through he'd say well he got any more no well let's go eat breakfast you eat breakfast and you know he was a hell of a rider and he he got he got those horses under him good and he knew what they'd do and he knew how to keep them straight and uh go uh and just made this made it for everybody.

SPEAKER_07 47:29

Bubby you won the All-American twice how special is it after all these years in your 87th year of life uh how special was it that both of those came with with Nick aboard?

SPEAKER_13 47:42

Well it it meant it meant a lot to me because we we we s we had it two or three years before we made made it out there but he was always on my side I didn't have to worry about that he was a he was a gentleman in front of all my people um when we go out uh you know every time we were in a big race to go out with him and he was all always a gentleman and all my people loved him you know I've had a people say walking you know and let's say we get beaten neck or nose or something. Man I wish we could have got that nose. Well you better be lucky we had that bone back because we had to get on we we got that little leg. That's what I think about it every horse he got on he'd make a leg but I loved him to death and and I know he loved me and I say prayers for him every night and uh I'll be doing that till I die.

SPEAKER_08 48:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 48:44

He was something else he either got a when you got him up or you you you excused and say well I if that boy done so it didn't have to you just didn't have no excuse if he if he rode one trainer Bubba Cassio passed away on November the second of 2022 at the age of 90. Thank you for listening and it was our pleasure to bring this look back at a legend in the quarter horse racing world and we'll be right back after these words.

SPEAKER_03 49:21

The grade one winning Kempton had a stellar first season at stud at Lazy E Ranch. This son of Kiss My Hawks has got a legend in the making written all over it. Those that bred your mares this past breeding season, smart move. Keep making great choices as infusing that superior pedigree as well as his outstanding ability as a runner Kempton is a wise choice.

SPEAKER_12 49:43

Up on board the lake, hot temptation, fiery eagle coming on it's Kempton and the heritage on our lake book your mare to him in 2027 at Lazy E.

SPEAKER_03 49:54

Also check out the sire roster of grade 1 Super Derby winner Big Lou, the legendary Corona Cartel, the all-time leader first down dash, the grade 1 winning and grade 1 producing sire Kiss My Hawks another leading sire PYC Paint Your Wagon new for 2026 Unrelentless and the grade 1 producing Valiant Hero all standing in Guthrie Oklahoma at Lazy E Ranch.

SPEAKER_07 50:21

Alright we're back jumping into the recap section here on Quarter Horse Racing Talk Weekly and we're going to look at the restricted grade 2 Zia Derby to get things started here in the Downs at Albuquerque $20300 on the line for the three year olds going into the finals for this 400 yard event.

SPEAKER_11 50:39

Let's listen to Robert Fox as he calls the Zia Derby They're running in the Zia Derby it was a fast break for CQ Kyomi Jesse luxury didn't get away great and then we have poor Mia drink and into the inside the gone the Giles runners are running big and in far side King Estate and then Sayamara and it's CQ Kyomi Jesse late run from King Estate King Estate I think gets up to win the Zia Derby King Estate is a three year old gilding by I am King out of the first down dashmare Curly Q.

SPEAKER_09 51:13

Bred by MJ Farms owned by Life's a Dream Farm and Racing trained by Rudy Vias and ridden by Christian Cardenas.

SPEAKER_11 51:21

Alright we're staying out at the downs at Albuquerque for the restricted grade one Zia Futurity for the two year olds going 400 yards $3650 on the line for these and the Mexico breads here's Robert Fox with the call of this restricted grade one futurity They're running in the Zia Futurity smooth break for them all speed at the rail for Heston then we have Baby Daddy Cartel followed up by Bogart's brown sugar and acrylic far side floating out was Daddy's China the gray Heston Baby Daddy Cartel Heston and Baby Daddy Cartel Heston from Baby Daddy Cartel in the Zia Futurti then a photo of acrylic in Daddy's China Heston is a two year old gilding by I am King out of the Big Daddy Cartel mare, Donnelly bred by MJ Farms, owned by Tungsten Racing Partnership and Rancho L48, trained by Omar Vargas and ridden by Jose Enriquez.

SPEAKER_10 52:17

Alright, out to Indiana for the Gordon Mobley Futurity Finals at the horseshoe at Indianapolis for two year old registered Indiana breads going 350 yards for a hundred and ninety five thousand dollar purse and here's the call oh a Gordon Mobley Futurity final some crowding from those inside gates away well as Super Shaker was slightly drifting off that line 220 yards to go here comes smoking down the beach with a charge on the outside Edson's wagon Jazz Solo's over here on the stand side it's Super Shaker Super Shaker and Jazz Solo the one two Super Shaker is a two-year-old gilding by Escandedu Beach out of the genuine Botaselli mare Botazelli Shake read by Sheree Miller owned by Campos Family Ventures trained by Claudio Barraza and ridden by Edgar Diaz Alright staying there at the horseshoe in Indianapolis the Heartland Feturity finals also took place on the same day July the 18th for two year olds open breads going 350 yards for a $194,000 purse and here's the call.

SPEAKER_09 53:22

They're all racing for the Heartland Futurity final sharp star for Temp Stepper Z who just leads in the middle 220 yards away nearest the inside Bloodworthy with red sleeve here's TWA Political Beach and Diego Bocanegra TWA Political Beach TWA Political Beach for three in a row TWA Political Beach is a two-year-old filly by Apolitical Jess out of the Escandido Beach mare WH Amastrican Beach read and known by Thomas Wiley trained by Natasha Perez and written by Diego Bocanegra continuing with that huge day there in Indianapolis the Jaguar Rocket Futurity finals took place for registered Indiana Breds won 350 yards $136,000 on the line and here's the call after all the Jaguar Rocket Futurity final and Wild Over Corona blasting right into action toward the inside Apolitical twin sea 220 yards to go and here's Cat5K coming with a long run after Wild over Corona who's out in front for one of Luna Diaz Wild Over Corona has beaten home Cat5K in a political twin sea and then Cyber Dash with CV Warlock in the final Wild Over Corona is a two year old gelding by KV and Corona out of the Apolitical Jess Mayor just over yonder. Owned and bred by JF Racing Stables trained by Tim Eggleston and ridden by Luis Luna Diaz.

SPEAKER_07 54:49

Also there at Indianapolis the Blue River Derby finals taking place for the Indiana Breads three year olds going 400 yards for over $126,000 purse in the years of the call.

SPEAKER_10 55:01

And the wall the Blue River Derby Final and he's a classy cowboy hopped in the air lost all chance fast start for seven beaches as they splash inside the 220 here comes a charge from HHM Kate down on the outside Stevie Denali is coming with a long run for Eckertiaz here's Stevie Denali Stevie D'Anali just keeps on winning and takes it from H.H.

SPEAKER_09 55:22

Acomt Stevie Denali is a three-year-old Philly by Escondito Beach out of the genuine Bodicelli mare Bodicelli Shake. Read by Sherry Miller owned by Campos Family Ventures trained by Claudio Barraza and written by Edgar Diaz.

SPEAKER_01 55:38

Alright down to Oklahoma out to Fair Meadows the Speedhorse Futurity 350 yards a hundred and seventy thousand dollar purse on the line and here's the call They're off in the speedhorse quarter horse futurity Eagles KY Delight broke well on the outside but in the center of the track that's Kissin Country Chicken the Blue to hits inside that's whiskey doc in the center of the track that's first prize jewel and now JT Midlife Crisis surges through and JT Midlife Crisis JT Midlife Crisis is a two year old gilding by Tel Cartel out of the Real Visions Mayor Wrangler's Vision.

SPEAKER_07 56:12

Owned Bred and Trained by Jeffrey Tyre and written by Roman Cruz Alright that wraps up the recap section if you want to read more about these stakes races from past weekends you can find it all in the race recap section on stallioniseearch.com and we'll be right back after these words here's the facts 15 of the 30 finalists of the 2026 Rainbow Futurity Derby and the Oaks were all Riadosa Select Sale graduates. So pay attention to the 413 nominated to all the major stakes races that will be sold this summer at Riadoso at the Riadosa Select Sale.

SPEAKER_09 56:54

And we're back on Quarterhorse Racing Talk for our weekly racing preview section. Yancey we've got another good weekend of quarter horse racing coming up and it's gonna be a big weekend in Texas. The annual TQHA yearling sale gets underway in San Antonio and if you're in the quarter horse racing business this is one of the weekends you circle on the calendar every year.

SPEAKER_14 57:16

Yeah for sure I mean it's one of the biggest nights in Texas racing and the Texas horsemen always have a lot of top quality runners.

SPEAKER_09 57:24

Yeah we've also got a great night of racing at Rotoma Park on Friday and Saturday including the TQHA cell faturity so there's plenty to talk about this week and we'll jump right into some of the big races starting with the TQHA 550 stakes a grade three event going 550 yards for three year olds and up $52,000 on the line and I have the number nine top cowboy picked on top with Luis Vavanko in the irons for trainer Mark Youngers. He's ran second his last out in a 550 yard stakes race and yes and those connections have been really hot this year.

SPEAKER_14 58:02

The horse I really like is the six on the rocks um this horse has actually won this specific race the last two years in a row so he's looking for a three Pete um he also ran fourth in the refrigerator last year. He's just a super tough horse that tries hard in stakes races every time and Francisco Calderon will be riding him and that's a top jock so I look for on the rocks to defend his title and the next race on Friday night is the TQHA classic stakes a grade two event going 400 yards for three year olds and up a $60,000 purse and I have number two 911 picked on top this horse had a really good three year old year.

SPEAKER_09 58:44

He's a four year old this year and he's always qualified to those big stakes races and I think that 400 yards is his distance yeah and he might he's one of those horses that like you said he always qualifies but then sometimes doesn't run good in the finals so maybe stakes races where he can run fresh will be a lot better for him.

SPEAKER_14 59:05

Another really good horse in this race is Cass Priatito. This horse has won two stakes races in a roll this year both at Sam Houston. He draws the outside three starts two wins on the year uh the last last time he won the Willie Hickman it was a grade two and but the time before that he won the Sam Houston Classic which was also a grade two so this is another top stakes horse in this race.

SPEAKER_09 59:30

Yes and another one Yancey that I think we need to talk about his number three sign of a jet he just won his last out a stakes race the silver bullet stakes at Rotoma Park and with world champion jockey Francisco Calderon in the Irons I think that this horse will be tough. And on Saturday night the Rotoma Park Derby $180,000 purse going 400 yards and the horse that I think we both have picked on top Yancey is gonna be number five Royalist the fastest qualifier in this race.

SPEAKER_14 1:00:03

Yeah I mean he he won his trial by three lengths he was looked super impressive he ran second in the Sam Houston Futurity. So he's definitely the horse to beat for sure but I think another one to talk about is Ringaling Ding.

SPEAKER_09 1:00:18

This horse has run third in the West Texas run fourth in the Sam Houston so he's a horse that's always right there in these derbies he has another one that I think is gonna hit the board is number 10 Cobra Stone 77 a John Steinbow horse. So this horse actually broke his maiden in the trial race so I think that this horse definitely is going to be improving in his career. And for the big race of the night the TQHA cell faturity a grade one event six hundred eighty thousand dollars going 350 yards this is going to be a really tough race but I think that the fastest qualifier is going to get it done again number one Cowboys flying who's undefeated and won the Texas Breeders fraturity in in Houston and has already beat half of the field yeah I mean Nestor Durant qualified three stays on Cowboy Flying Nestor's been riding super good lately so I think it's gonna be hard to beat him as well I agree.

SPEAKER_14 1:01:17

Another really good one is Whoopi Cowgirl um she won the grade two Louisiana down fraternity last earlier this year.

SPEAKER_09 1:01:25

She also qualified to the Texas Breeders fraternity and she picks up past world champion jockey Francisco Calerone in the Irons and anytime you can have a pickup rider like Francisco Caleron that gives the horse a good chance another one in this race a political cowboy another one that Nestor qualified that Victor Urietta Jr is gonna ride super fast. Cole ran second in the Texas Breeders faturity fifth in Louisiana Downs faturity earlier in the year and has been very consistent through his two year old career.

SPEAKER_14 1:01:58

Yeah this will be a super nice race Bailey one thing I like really have liked about these Texas races this year is a lot of these horses they continue to face each other each and every out so it's been fun watching them battle throughout the year.

SPEAKER_09 1:02:13

And moving out to California Sunday night they're gonna be having the Governor's cup derby and fraturity and starting with the Governor's cup derby a restricted grade two event $160,000 purse going 400 yards I think we both agreed on this one as well Yancey doodle cartel is going to be the horse to beat Yeah I mean this is the three year old of California for sure he's won five in a row this year he's won he won the winner winner derby earlier won the El Primero Delano Derby I mean he's just stamped himself as the horse to beat this year for sure and he looked really impressive in his trial again so Duda Cartel is definitely a top runner. And the the horse that ran second to him in the El Primero Delano Derby is Brother Ray, which is also qualified so I think that he's gonna be tough in this race as well.

SPEAKER_14 1:03:12

Yeah he's a super nice Colt. I put him down as well and then the horse that runs second to Brother Way is shiny new um the only thing I put down that I liked about this horse and I noted is that this horse broke through the front of the gates in his trials and then still came back and run second in his trial and a lot of times after horses break through the gates they don't run good at all so he's another one that could be on the board for sure.

SPEAKER_09 1:03:38

And then the big race of the night the Governor's cup fraternity restricted grade one event going 350 yards for $285,000. My pick is gonna be the fastest qualifier Golden Token a cult by Golden Boy who is the hot freshman sire right now out in California.

SPEAKER_14 1:03:58

Yeah he looks super good uh I put down both of the James Glenn runners um the first one is nice Laura uh this is a horse's out of favorite cartel and London Laura uh London Laura was a super nice stakes runner when she was running she drifted way in in her trial so I think with improvement she can run better in the final and then the tenth fastest qualifier lonely at night you have to put down this horse this is favorite cartel remember me rose uh it's a two hundred and fifty thousand dollar purchase at the at the sale these b bloodlines they just continue continue to produce runner after runner and so I'll never count those horses out.

SPEAKER_09 1:04:41

Yes Anthony it's gonna be a huge weekend of racing in Texas and California and I look forward to recapping it with you next week and also previewing the next week's races.

SPEAKER_07 1:04:54

Alright that's all the time we have here on Quarter Horse Racing Talk Weekly and another great episode Bailey I think one of the things about these old nostalgic videos I've been digging up, you know I'm going to run out eventually of some of this stuff, but it's just great to be able to bring these types of interviews and and to share them with the Quarter Horse Racing world and they have such great response because these are the ones that I hear the most about.

SPEAKER_09 1:05:20

Bubba Casio was before my time so it's fun for me to hear about one of the most influential trainers in American quarter horse racing.

SPEAKER_07 1:05:28

And of course Bailey the TQHA sale futurity as well as the TQHA sale you're going to be attending this weekend. So love to hear back from you on how it goes out in San Antonio and plenty of racing coming up this summer and we're all going to hear it here on the number one quarter horse racing podcast in the Western hemisphere. And on behalf of me, Greg Thompson Astalyanesearch.com and I'm Bailey Ivy and we'll see you next week here on Quarter Horse Racing Talk Weekly