On Sunday morning, owner Lee Einsidler of LRE Racing was still basking in the glow of his Saratoga Race Course-loving star Casa Creed, who for the second straight year Saturday captured the Fourstardave Handicap (G1) going one mile over the inner turf.
Trained by Bill Mott and co-owned by Einsidler with Mike Francesa's JEH Racing, Casa Creed became the fourth horse to win two editions of the Fourstardave, joining Got Stormy [2019, 2021], Hall of Famer Wise Dan [2012-13] and the race's namesake Fourstardave [1990-91], who captured the prestigious race when it was run as the Daryl's Joy.
Einsidler stopped by Mott's stable at the Oklahoma training track to pay Casa Creed a visit after his big win. He said the fan favorite, affectionately known as the 'Mayor of Saratoga,' will now have sights set on the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) in November at Santa Anita.
Although yet to win a Breeders' Cup race, Casa Creed has been a participant in the past three runnings, finishing a respective 12th [2020] and eighth [2021] in the Mile before running ninth in last year's Turf Sprint (G1).
“He looks amazing. He came out of the race great. His legs are cool, he's eating up and feeling great,” Einsidler said. “We'll give him a break now and see if we can get him out to California for the Breeders' Cup.”
Boasting a 6-4-0-2 record over the Saratoga turf, Casa Creed won the Grade 3 Kelso at Saratoga on July 15 and the 2019 Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in during his sophomore season, one year after breaking his maiden over the Spa main track in August 2018.
In addition to his Spa accolades, Casa Creed captured two straight runnings of Belmont Park's six-furlong Jaipur (G1) [2021-22] while running third behind last year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) winner Caravel in this year's edition. He also shipped halfway across the world the past couple of Februarys to finish a close second in the 1351 Turf Sprint (G3) at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh.
“He loves to win. He loves to race and we're so grateful that he's a part of our life. It was just one of those amazing, amazing days,” Einsidler said.
Casa Creed earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure – his eighth lifetime triple digit number – for the Fourstardave, where he earned a “Win And You're In” entry into the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile in November at Santa Anita Park. The evergreen 7-year-old son of Jimmy Creed additionally competed in his fourth straight Fourstardave, finishing third in the 2020 and 2021 editions, respectively.
In last year's running, Casa Creed utilized his typical late-pouncing style en route to a 1 1/2-length triumph over eventual champion turf female Regal Glory.
“You can't imagine that you'd run in the same Grade 1 race at Saratoga four years in a row. That's not anything even remotely something you would ever think about, but to win it for the second year in a row made for an amazing day,” Einsidler said. “I'm so appreciative of what Bill Mott and his staff have done for this horse for the entirety of his career. As a 7-year-old, there's the argument to be made that yesterday's race was the best race of his life.”
Casa Creed entered the Fourstardave from a triumph in the Kelso going one mile at the Spa, where he benefited from a slow start from post time favorite Annapolis and fended off his foe to win by one length. But the tables were turned in Saturday's race, where Casa Creed had to catch the Irad Ortiz Jr.-piloted Annapolis in deep stretch, collaring the Grade 1-winning millionaire in the final sixteenth to win by three-quarters of a length under Luis Saez.
“He had every reason not to catch the horse in front, who's a very good racehorse. He went after him, caught him, and beat him to the wire,” Einsidler said. “We knew that was going to be their plan after the way the Kelso unfolded where we got the jump on him. We knew Irad would go and Luis knew it so he figured he would follow him. He knew what he had underneath him. He told me this morning that he was very confident going down the lane that he was going to catch him. Casa Creed has a great closing kick, we saw that yesterday. I have great respect for Annapolis and all the other horses in the race. But we beat him by a comfortable margin, which was very gratifying. It wasn't like it was a nose finish; we spotted him three or four lengths coming down the stretch.”
With an overall record of 33-9-5-5, Casa Creed has banked $2,460,308 in lifetime earnings.
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