Classic Empire enters the 2017 Kentucky Derby as one of the favorites. He is one of the few horses in the field who was once seen as both a lock and a long shot to make the Derby. Classic Empire headed into the Arkansas Derby facing a must-win scenario to head to Churchill Downs. The horse did just that by finding the Winner's Circle to punch his ticket to the Derby. Classic Empire was an early Derby favorite after winning the Breeders’ Futurity in October 2016 at Keeneland. After that, it was a rocky road as the horse refused to train at times then battled a foot abscess which forced him to miss time. His performance at the Arkansas Derby has many thinking the horse can win the Kentucky Derby. John Oxley purchased Classic Empire for $475,000 at the Keeneland 2015 September Yearling Sale. The horse has been trained by Mark Casse and Julien Leparoux is the jockey heading into Churchill Downs. Click the arrow on the right side of the middle of the page to learn more about the 2017 Kentucky Derby favorite along with his trainer, jockey and owner. (Getty)
Horse: Classic Empire
Bio: Classic Empire was an early Derby favorite until he was not. The horse missed time during prep season with a foot abscess. He headed into the Arkansas Derby needing a strong finish to qualify for the Kentucky Derby. Classic Empire did just that by winning the Arkansas Derby. The horse has five victories since last May making his third place finish in the Holy Bull look like an outlier. According to America's Best Racing, the horse has earned $2,120,220 over his career. Classic Empire has earned $634,300 in 2017 heading into the Derby. The horse was born in Kentucky making a potential Derby win even more special. Classic Empire is the son of Pioneerof the Nile and Sambuca Classica. Steve and Brandi Nicholson are the breeders responsible for Classic Empire. Despite entering the Kentucky Derby as the favorite, he enters the race with plenty of questions after spurts of refusing to train combined with his recent injuries. (Getty)
Jockey: Julien Leparoux
Bio: According to the Kentucky Derby, Leparoux grew up in France in a family involved in horse racing. His father, Robert Leparoux, was a former jockey and later became a trainer. The younger Leparoux has seven Breeders Cup victories. In addition to Classic Empire, some of the other top horses that Lerparoux has ridden are Nownownow, Forever Together, She Be Wild, Informed Decision, Einstein and Tepin. According to America's Best Racing, he has earned $139,356,779 over his career and $4,393,963 in 2017 heading into the Kentucky Derby. He has won over 2,000 races in his career but is looking for his first Kentucky Derby victory. He is married to Shea Mitchell, the daughter of Southern California horse trainer Mike Mitchell. Mike Mitchell passed away in 2015 after battling brain cancer. The couple has one son, Mitchell, who was born in 2015. (Getty)
Trainer: Mark Casse
Bio: Casse originally hails from Indianapolis, Indiana but has a large Canadian footprint. According to the Kentucky Derby, he has won the Sovereign Award, Canada's award for the top trainer, six times. He is the founder of Casse Racing where he trains Classic Empire. He has amassed over 2,000 wins over his career. Casse has endured plenty of setbacks with Classic Empire including injuries and his refusal to train at times. Casse spoke with the USA Today about entering the Arkansas Derby needing a win from Classic Empire. “My thought was, if he didn’t run well enough, he didn’t deserve to be in the Kentucky Derby,” Casse told the USA Today. “I was OK with that. But I was a little worried because he got in some trouble and as they’re coming down the lane, I’m thinking, ‘If he doesn’t get in the Kentucky Derby because of a bad trip that would be disheartening.’ We were lucky it went well.” His wife, Tina, was a registered nurse when they met. She founded Casse Racing with Mark in 2002. Their headquarters are in Ocala, Florida but work all over the United States and Canada. Tina started out managing the business operations of the company but has now expanded to own several horses. (Getty)
Owner: John Oxley
Bio: Horse racing has been very profitable for Oxley. According to America's Best Racing, Oxley has won $36,587,678 over his career as an owner and $1,022,693 in 2017 heading into the Derby. His horse, Monarchos, won the 2001 Kentucky Derby with the second-fastest race time in the history of the race. He founded a Tulsa oil company, Oxley Petroleum, in 1962 and sold it in 2003 for $220 million. He recently founded a smaller oil exploration compay called Oxley Resources LLC. His father, John T. Oxley, was a Hall of Fame polo player. He spoke with Daily Racing Form about his relationship with his wife, Debby. "My wife, Debby, and I have a great relationship," Oxley told Daily Racing Form. "We seem to think alike, and we enjoy a low-key lifestyle when we’re away from the racetrack. She’s equally enthusiastic about the Thoroughbred game and she’s originally from Louisville, too. We really enjoy the part of our life where we’re out to dinner or with our friends or traveling. But obviously racing is a huge part of our lives." (Getty)
Classic Empire: Meet the Horse, Jockey, Trainer & Owner