Charles William Cascio (August 7, 1932 – November 2, 2022), better known as Bubba Cascio or C. W. Cascio, was an American race horse trainer, and two-time winner of the

All American Futurity The All American Futurity is a race for two-year-old American Quarter Horse racehorses run at Ruidoso Downs (track), Ruidoso Downs Race Track in Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico on Labor Day. It is the last leg of the AQHA Triple Crown that has only been ...

, having won in 1968 with Three Oh's, and again in 1970 with

Rocket Wrangler Winner of the All American Futurity, Rocket Wrangler (1968–1992) went on to sire Dash For Cash. Life Rocket Wrangler was a 1968 son of American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame member Rocket Bar a Thoroughbred stallion. Rocket Wrangler was out of ...

. He also trained

Dash For Cash Dash For Cash (April 17, 1973May 20, 1996) was an American Quarter Horse racehorse and an influential sire in the Quarter Horse breed. Racing career Dash For Cash won $507,688 during his career and was the Racing World Champion in 1976 and 197 ...

, twice

Champion of Champions Champion of Champions generally refers to a championship tournament in which all participants have won a single event series of the same tournament. It may also refer to: * Champion of Champions (horse race), a stakes race annually held in Califor ...

winner sired by Rocket Wrangler. In 2002, Cascio was inducted into the Texas Racing Hall of Fame, and in 2008, into the

American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame The American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum was created by the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), based in Amarillo, Texas. Ground breaking construction of the Hall of Fame Museum began in 1989. The distinction is earned by people and ...

. He has been referred to as a "Texas racing legend". In 2016, he was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame as "one of the most successful trainers in the horse racing industry for over 40 years." Cascio died on November 2, 2022, at the age of 90.

Early life

Bubba Cascio was born in Houston, Texas into a life of

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

. His uncle managed Epsom Downs, located on Jensen Drive in northeast Harris County, until parimutuel racing became illegal in Texas in 1937. His father Jake Cascio (1907–1988) was a highly regarded racehorse trainer throughout the Southwest. Bubba began his lifelong career in horse racing at age 10 when he hot-walked horses for racehorse trainer Will McKown. A few years later he was galloping racehorses, and by age 16 was a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

for approximately three years during which time he outgrew the required weight limit. While still in his teens, Bubba worked for Lester Goodson's J3 Ranch in Magnolia, Texas. He said, "My dad was training race horses and I was riding ‘em." When he became too heavy to jockey, he started riding

cutting horses A cutting horse is a stock horse, typically an American Quarter Horse, bred and trained for cutting, a modern equestrian competition requiring a horse and rider to separate a single cow from a herd of cattle and prevent it from getting back to t ...

under the tutelage of his idol

Matlock Rose Matlock Rose, born Berry Matlock Rose (1924–2008), was a professional horse trainer for over 60 years. He established a reputation as an all-around cowboy and trainer of champions. Rose was often described as stonefaced, a man of few words, b ...

who, at the time, also worked for J3 Ranch training AQHA performance horses.

Career

Cascio credits Lester Goodson as having been a positive influence in his life and career stating that " oodsonbelieved in me, got me connections and recommended me to people.” Cascio also recalled a time in 1956 when he went with Goodson to the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

to present two

American Quarter Horses The American Quarter Horse, or Quarter Horse, is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name is derived from its ability to outrun other horse breeds in races of or less; some have been clocked at speeds up to . ...

President Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary ...

. Cascio rode one of them in a reining pattern on the White House lawn. The horses' names were Doodle De Do and Sporty Miss. Cascio trained many winning race horses but among the most notable are the two All American Futurity winners Three Oh's and

, and twice Champion of Champions winner

, an

inductee.

References

External links

Cascio Racing Stables
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cascio, Bubba 1932 births 2022 deaths American racehorse trainers American Quarter Horse racehorses AQHA Hall of Fame (members) Sportspeople from Houston