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.
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