Month: June 2022

LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable's Casa Creed launched a furious late rally past the front-runners and scored a repeat victory in the $400,000 Jaipur Stakes (G1) Saturday at Belmont Park.

A 6-year-old son of Jimmy Creed, Casa Creed won by a half-length from favorite Arrest Me Red while pacesetter True Valour was third. Under Luis Saez, he covered the six furlongs for 3-year- olds and older in 1:07.44 on firm turf. He returned $10.40.

With the victory, Casa Creed earned a fees paid, automatic starting berth in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) in November at Keeneland as the Jaipur is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge “Win & You're In” series.

Trained by Bill Mott, Casa Creed scored for the first time in six starts since storming from next to last to win last year's edition of the Jaipur by two lengths at 10-1 odds over stablemate Chewing Gum.

“It's great to get back-to-back wins in the Jaipur with him,” Mott said. “He's a neat horse. He's a real warrior who's gotten better with age. We finally found out what he wants to do. He wants to run in the Jaipur every year.”

Breaking from post 4, Casa Creed settled in midpack for Saez, saving ground along the fence while relaxing in ninth in the field of 13 as True Valour was clocked in :22.36 and :44.94 for a half mile with Arrest Me Red just to his outside.

As True Valour and Arrest Me Red set sail for the finish line at the quarter pole, Casa Creed cut the corner beautifully into the stretch and quickly found himself on the heels of those two. On the rail in upper stretch, Saez  angled his horse to their outside at the eighth pole, and Casa Creed responded with a powerful rally for the narrow win.

“His trip was beautiful,” Mott said.”I couldn't have drawn it up any better. He was down in there and saved all the ground and then it cleared enough for him to tip out. When he gets to the outside he flies.

“He really needs more than five, 5 1/2 furlongs. Six and seven is better so we'll see what's next for him [at Saratoga].”

Saez said Casa Creed had a good trip Saturday.

“This horse is a pretty nice horse, he can really run. He just has to have the right trip. Today, we had a good trip. When he ran in Saudi Arabia [second to Songline in the Group 3 Turf Sprint Cup in February at King Abdulaziz], the track was soft. It didn't help him that much but he still ran well and finished second a neck. I'm pretty happy for the trainer and owner especially, they're like family so I'm blessed to be a part.

“I had a little room on the rail but it was tricky because the favorite [No. 5, Arrest Me Red] was outside. I just went to the best path and went to the outside and he got the job done.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., aboard runner-up Arrest Me Red, said: “We just got beat. He beat me fair and the winner ran his race.”

Casa Creed, bred in Kentucky by Silver Springs Stud, has a 6-4-4 record from 26 lifetime starts and earnings of $1,428,308. His dam is the Bellamy Road mare Achalaya.

The post ‘He Got The Job Done’: Casa Creed Halts Winless Skid With Thrilling Repeat In Jaipur appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Despite a slow break and being boxed in early, 2-5 favorite Flightline remained undefeated with a six-length runaway victory in Saturday's $1 million, Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park. Owned by Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Woodford Racing, the 4-year-old son of Tapit ran a mile over the fast main track in 1:33.59.

“A great horse overcoming adversity,” said trainer John Sadler. “It didn't go really the way we thought it would. It's the thrill of a lifetime; he's a one-time horse for me. I've never seen one like him.”

“He proved himself,” echoed co-owner Kosta Hronis. “It really shows what a nice horse he is for him to swing out and do something new on a new track, travelling and everything that was involved. He overcame a lot of obstacles today and still won by five or six lengths. We're proud of our horse.”

The victory earned Flightline an expenses-paid berth to the $1 million Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in November at Keeneland, though connections are hoping to point the colt to the 1 1/4-mile Classic.

Handled by regular jockey Flavien Prat, Flightline left the gates slowly and leaning to the left, giving up approximately three lengths at the start. Speaker's Corner, the clear second wagering choice, broke better and grabbed the early lead under Junior Alvarado.

Alvarado moved Speaker's Corner over to the inside, boxing Flightline in behind the leader and inside Happy Saver. Flightline remained calm, however, and despite Alvarado crowding the favorite, Prat was able to maneuver Flightline to the outside after a first quarter in 22.78 seconds. Speaker's Corner led by just over a length through a half-mile in 45.01 seconds, with Flightline trailing him on the outside in second.

 

Flightline inched toward the leader on the far turn, and though Alvarado guided Speaker's Corner a bit wide, Flightline blew by that rival with ease to be a length in front after three-quarters of a mile in 1:08.54. The battle was on for second between Speaker's Corner and Happy Saver, but Flightline was all alone through the length of the stretch to cross the wire six lengths the best.

Happy Saver nabbed second over Speaker's Corner, while Aloha West finished in fourth.

“The way he handled himself once I was behind horses, he was comfortable and I was happy where I was,” Prat said of Flightline. “It feels great [when he hits his best stride]. It seems the sky is limitless and its been a real pleasure.”

Bred in Kentucky by co-owner Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Farm, Flightline is out of the multiple Grade 1-placed, graded stakes-winning Indian Charlie mare Feathered. Lyon purchased Feathered for $2.35 million at the 2016 Keeneland November sale with a daughter of War Front in utero, and bred her back to Tapit on the cover that produced Flightline in 2018.

The colt went through the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling sale, bringing a final bid of $1 million from West Point Thoroughbreds. On debut, Flightline broke his maiden by 13 1/4 lengths, which he followed up with a 12 3/4-length triumph in an allowance race at Del Mar.

For his first start in graded stakes company, Flightline dominated the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes by 11 1/2 lengths and registered a 118 Beyer, the largest recorded figure by a horse last year.

Sadler was forced to a planned start in March's Grade 2 San Carlos with Flightline earlier this year when colt strained a hock, but everything got back on track and Flightline was as impressive as ever in the Met Mile. The colt has won all four of his lifetime starts for earnings of $794,800.

“When I saw him behind early, I wanted to throw up on myself,” Sadler admitted. “But you've got to watch and see what happens. I thought when he [Prat] got him going clear in the turn when he went up in that horse I thought we'd be in good shape. Flavien says distance is no issue and we want to try two turns. That's in the plans. But we go one step at a time. He's lightly raced. This is his first start this year.

“It's really gratifying to get here after the hiccup we had with him. We weren't rushed. We had plenty of time to train him for this. To his credit he's a very good trainer. He's such an athlete. Winning the Met Mile is so gratifying. It's such a historic race and a stallion-making race and he's all of those things. He's the whole package.

“He'll go back to California Tuesday. Ask me what we're going to do from there and I don't know.”

Hronis suggested that the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Sept. 3 could be the next target for Flightline.

The post ‘I’ve Never Seen One Like Him’: Flightline Ultra-Impressive In Met Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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