Casse, Castellano look to add to Penn Mile resumes
At 0h02, on May 27, 2026 • By Scott Lishia, Penn National Race Course
Double Hall of Famer Mark Casse and jockey Javier Castellano are seeking back-to-back wins in the $400,000 Grade 3 PENN Mile on Friday, May 29 at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course with two-time stakes winner ALPYLAND. Casse has won the PENN Mile three times (no other trainer has won it more than once), while Castellano has won the race twice (equaling Irad Ortiz, Jr. in number of wins) and will be riding in his record seventh PENN Mile.
The PENN Mile card will feature an All-Stakes Turf Pick 4 including the $75,000 Alphabet Soup Handicap and $75,000 Lyphard Stakes, both for Pennsylvania bred horses, the $150,000 PENN Oaks and the PENN Mile. First race post is 5 p.m.
While Casse and Castellano boast a successful history in the event, morning line favorite for the race falls to HONEY DUTCH (2-1) from the Kentucky based Whit Beckman stable. HONEY DUTCH has finished on the board in five straight stake races including a most recent third place finish in the Grade 1 American Turf on Derby Day at Churchill Downs. The Knicks Go colt is 6 for 6 in the money on the turf lifetime with $379,000 earned in his nine-race career. Beckman has been in the national spotlight this spring as trainer of longshot Kentucky Derby third place finisher OCELLI. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount on HONEY DUTCH.
ALPYLAND finished just over two lengths behind HONEY DUTCH in the American Turf and bested that rival on New Year’s Day at Gulfstream Park in the Dania Beach Stakes. A three-year-old gelding by Vekoma, ALPYLAND has won four of nine lifetime starts, with three of them on the turf.
TEDDY’S ROCKET is from the turf rich Miguel Clement and the 3-1 third choice. All three of his lifetime starts have been on the turf with a maiden win at Saratoga last summer. Manuel Franco, winner of the 2018 PENN Mile on HAWKISH will ride. Clement’s late father Christophe won the 2017 PENN Mile with FROSTMOURNE.
IMMORTALISED is riding a three-race winning streak with his most recent victory notched on March 28 in the Cutler Bay stakes at Gulfstream Park. The French-bred is trained by Brendan Walsh, winner of the 2024 PENN Mile with FIRST WORLD WAR. John Velazquez has the mount.
Morning-line favorite in the $150,000 PENN Oaks at one mile on the turf will be BANDIGARA (9-5), trained by Clement and ridden by Franco. The English-bred will be making her US and seasonal debut in the OAKS.
As with the PENN Mile, Casse and Castellano have the second choice on the morning line, this time with FINAL ACCORD (5-2). No trainer has won the PENN Mile and PENN Oaks in the same year while Frankie Dettori is the only jockey to win both races in the same year (2024.) FINAL ACCORD won the Grade 3 Matron Stakes at Aqueduct last year.
Two other trainers in the OAKS have had previous success in the event – George “Rusty” Arnold, II, (CALL ON ME) won the 2024 edition with the stakes record winning POOLSIDE WITH SLIM. Jack Sisterson (SUTURA), won the 2023 edition of the Oaks with MALLEYMOO.
New York invader MODAROSA is the 5-2 morning line favorite in the Lyphard and FIERCE AND STRONG, 2025 winner of the Alphabet Soup, is the 5-2 morning line favorite to repeat in that race.
