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Casa Creed Denies Regal Glory In Fourstardave

LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable's Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed), a two-time winner of Belmont's GI Jaipur S. at six furlongs, showcased his same electrifying closing kick going a mile with a flashy 1 1/2-length victory over heavily favored mare Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Fourstardave H. at the Spa.

Given a 4-1 chance in this field of five, the rail-drawn Casa Creed dropped back early and trailed in fifth as longshot Get Smokin (Get Stormy) led through fractions of :24.01 and :47.94. Locked and loaded on the far turn, he was tipped out widest of all at the top of the stretch, and, after shifting in around the three-sixteenths marker and getting subsequently corrected by Luis Saez, came flying over the top with massive strides to get the money. Regal Glory, who was attempting to become the third female winner of the race in the last four years, was second best.

A solid third in this race last year, Casa Creed came within a neck of capturing the G3 Turf Sprint Cup in Saudi Arabia in his 2022 lidlifter Feb. 26. Freshened after finishing fifth in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan Mar. 26, the bay successfully defended his Jaipur title on the GI Belmont S. undercard last out June 11.

“He's in great form and won two Grade I's since coming back [from Dubai], so scrap that theory that they can't travel and do good,” winning Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said. “We've always felt he was capable of going a mile and I think it's a matter of getting his run timed properly and having the right trip, and he did it today. He's run good races at a mile before and got very good speed figures, and today he got his picture taken.”

Casa Creed has taken two previous swings at the GI Breeders' Cup Mile, finishing 12th at Keeneland in 2020 and eighth at Del Mar last year. He earned a fees-paid berth into this year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint via his win in the Jaipur and added a free trip to the GI Breeders' Cup Mile with his win in the Fourstardave.

Where will we see Casa Creed land at the Championships this fall?

“We'll talk about that,” Mott said. “We're already hashing that over, but we'll see. I think six-to-seven [furlongs] is probably his best–he's somewhere in between. But he was drawing away going a mile today. I guess it depends on the trip and how he's doing on the day.”

Pedigree Notes:

The lone Grade I scorer and one of four graded winners for the under-appreciated Jimmy Creed, Casa Creed is out of an unraced daughter of four-time graded winner Wild Heart Dancing (Farma Way), the dam of MSPs Unbridled's Heart (Unbridled's Song) and Leopard Rock (Speightstown). Third dam Star of Wicklow was responsible for GISW Man From Wicklow (Turkoman). Achalaya is the dam of Jimmy Creed's 2-year-old half-brother by Distorted Humor, a yearling by Omaha Beach and a filly by Horse of the Year Authentic foaled Apr. 15. She was bred back to Curlin. Bellamy Road is the broodmare sire of two graded winners.

Saturday, Saratoga
FOURSTARDAVE H.-GI, $485,000, Saratoga, 8-13, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:34.20, fm.
1–CASA CREED, 122, h, 6, by Jimmy Creed
                1st Dam: Achalaya, by Bellamy Road
                2nd Dam: Wild Heart Dancing, by Farma Way
                3rd Dam: Star of Wicklow, by Fast Play
($15,000 Ylg '17 OBSWIN; $105,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-LRE
Racing LLC & JEH Racing Stable LLC; B-Silver Springs Stud, LLC
(KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Luis Saez. $275,000. Lifetime Record:
27-7-4-4, $1,703,308. *1/2 to Chess's Dream (Jess's Dream),
GSW, $185,715. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Regal Glory, 119, m, 6, Animal Kingdom–Mary's Follies, by
More Than Ready. ($925,000 5yo '21 KEEJAN). O-Peter M.
Brant; B-Paul P Pompa (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $100,000.
3–Masen (GB), 123, g, 4, Kingman (GB)–Continental Drift, by
Smart Strike. O/B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd. (GB); T-Chad C.
Brown. $60,000.
Margins: 1HF, HF, 3/4. Odds: 4.20, 0.50, 3.55.
Also Ran: Get Smokin, Front Run the Fed.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Lea’s Poppy Flower Blossoms Late In Saratoga’s Galway S.

Poppy Flower took three tries to break her maiden at Belmont last Spring before making the jump into stakes company, posting on-the-board efforts in Saratoga's Bolton Landing S. behind future GISW Chi Town Lady (Verrazano) and the Ainsworth S. in the fall before ending her year with a fifth in the GIII Futurity S. for Wesley Ward. After a seven-month layoff, Poppy Flower returned for new trainer Bill Mott to capture the Stormy Blues S. at Laurel June 19 and check in just a half-length short behind Empress Tigress in Saratoga's Coronation Cup S. when last seen July 15.

Given a 4-1 chance Thursday, Poppy Flower took back off the early pace, settling close to the back of the field to race in eighth through an opening quarter set by Delmona (Ire) in :22.25. Shifted off the rail into the far turn, she angled four wide as the field straightened for the money and came with a rally down the center of the course to steal the lead from Empress Tigress inside the final sixteenth and go on to win by a length.

“I could have waited longer to see if something opened up inside, but I felt like there was a blanket of horses and I didn't want to be a hero,” said winning jockey Jose Ortiz. “I knew I had a lot of horse underneath of me and she always finishes well, so I wanted to have a clean run home. I didn't want to have any excuses. She came home flying.”

Trainer Bill Mott added, “I gave him [Jose Ortiz] no instructions. He rode her last time and rode her well. We thought maybe we'd be a little bit closer to the pace today, and she broke well and she was up there for a few strides but she just wanted to settle and he let her do what she wanted to do.”

Poppy Flower has an unraced 2-year-old half-brother by Noble Mission (GB) and a yearling half-sister named Got Sunny (Get Stormy). Her dam dropped a filly by Air Force Blue in 2022 and was bred back to Cairo Prince in 2023. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

GALWAY S., $150,000, Saratoga, 8-11, 3yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.09, fm.
1–POPPY FLOWER, 122, f, 3, by Lea
                1st Dam: Nisharora (Ire) (SP-Ity, SP-USA, $106,173), by Excellent Art (GB)
                2nd Dam: Art Fair (GB), by Alzao
                3rd Dam: Lypharita (Fr), by Lightning (Fr)
($9,500 RNA Ylg '20 KEEJAN). O-Arnmore Thoroughbreds, LLC;
B-Brenda Harding & Megan Jones (KY); T-William I. Mott;
J-Jose L. Ortiz. $82,500. Lifetime Record: 10-3-4-1, $340,520.
2–Empress Tigress, 122, f, 3, Classic Empire–Tigress Tale, by
Tale of the Cat. ($37,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP; $410,000 2yo '21
OBSAPR). O-Augustin Stable; B-Springhouse Farm (KY);
T-Jonathan Thomas. $30,000.
3–Delmona (Ire), 118, f, 3, Dandy Man (Ire)–Imelda Mayhem
(GB), by Byron (GB). (£44,000 Ylg '20 TATIRY; 170,000gns 2yo
'21 TATAHI). O-Red Baron's Barn & Rancho Temescal;
B-Ballyhane Stud (IRE); T-James Bentley Begg. $18,000.
Margins: 1, HF, 1. Odds: 4.20, 1.45, 18.90.
Also Ran: Makin My Move, Have A Good Day (Ire), Breeze Easy (GB), Half Is Enough, Derrynane, Artos (Ire). Scratched: Benbang, Freedom Speaks, Mystic Eyes.

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War Like Goddess Defends Glens Falls Title; May Try Males in Sword Dancer

War Like Goddess, the $30,000 OBS June buy turned star turf marathoner, defended her title in Saratoga's GII Glens Falls S. with characteristic ease Saturday at the Spa, requiring little urging from Joel Rosario to pick up her eighth victory in 10 starts and sixth graded score in her last seven outings.

Opening her career with a pair of triumphs going long on the Churchill turf in the fall of 2020, the Bill Mott trainee ran fifth making her stakes bow in the GIII The Very One S. last February at Gulfstream before reeling off four consecutive graded successes, including dazzling wins in the Glens Falls and GI Flower Bowl S. here last summer. She removed any remaining doubt as to her quality when finishing a hard-fought, narrow third to champion Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and captured her second straight renewal of Keeneland's GIII Bewitch S. Apr. 29 in her only start of 2022 before Saturday.

Made the favorite for the sixth consecutive race, this time as a 2-5 chance, War Like Goddess found a cozy midpack spot as longshot Key Biscayne (Brethren) was afforded an easy lead and dictated terms through fractions of :25.26, :51.53 and 1:17.51. There was still no sense of urgency or change in the plot as the mile split went up in a dawdling 1:42.33, and trailer Flanigan's Cove (Kitten's Joy) was the first to push her chips in with a wide move into contention around five-sixteenths out. The heat then picked up nearing the lane as Petricor (GB) (Frankel {GB}), War Like Goddess and Flanigan's Cove stacked four deep along with the pacesetter, but Rosario sat typically chilly on the chalk until the furlong pole. Finally cutting her loose as Temple City Terror dove to the inside to challenge, Rosario mildly pushed out War Like Goddess, who asserted herself in deep stretch to edge away from Temple City Terror and clear second choice Virgina Joy, who grabbed third.

“They were sitting on a bunch of them early, but I guess late she had a little more kick than the rest of them,” said Mott. “You always worry about if they're going fast enough up front to give her a enough pace and you don't want them to have to wrestle with her to keep her back off the pace. Joel did a good job. He has good hands and the filly responded to him and when he asked her to go on, she was there for him.”

“She's a nice horse and easy to ride,” added Rosario. “The pace was slow, but the whole time I had confidence in her and when I turned her loose and wanted to go she went. She was running really nice for me and I just had to stay with her like that. She felt the confidence at that point and I just went with that. She's just amazing. Even before I rode her, when Julien [Leparoux] used to, I remember she just always had that kick at the end. I'm very happy with the ride.”

Mott revealed that a first try against males in the Aug. 27 GI Sword Dancer S. could be in the cards next for War Like Goddess due to the downgrading of the Sept. 3 Flower Bowl to a Grade II for this year.

“We missed the New York Handicap, we got forced into missing that because of some training issues. Now we'll look at the Flower Bowl, most likely, or maybe even the Sword Dancer,” the Hall of Famer said. “We'll see. [The Sword Dancer] is a mile and a half and it's a Grade I. She's a Grade I winner already, but unfortunately the Flower Bowl has been a Grade I since I've been in New York and they downgraded it, which is a very big disappointment. There have been some real top fillies run in the race.”

Pedigree Notes:

The first back-to-back winner in the 27-year history of the Glens Falls, War Like Goddess is one of 12 Grade I/Group 1 winners for champion turf sire English Channel, who died from a sudden illness at the age of 19 last fall. She is the first foal out of dam Misty North (North Light {Ire}), who sold for just $1,000 to Charles Yochum at Keeneland November in 2019 prior to any of War Like Goddess's exploits. Responsible for an unraced 3-year-old Red Rocks (Ire) filly named Thecradlewillrock and a juvenile colt by Bal a Bali (Brz) named North of Bali, Misty North was not reported bred in 2020 or 2021 before visiting Curlin this season. Third dam Romanette was a SW/MGSP and produced thrice Group 1-placed Blush Rambler (Blushing Groom {Fr}).

Saturday, Saratoga
GLENS FALLS S.-GII, $250,000, Saratoga, 8-6, 4yo/up, f/m,
1 1/2mT, 2:29.33, fm.
1–WAR LIKE GODDESS, 122, m, 5, by English Channel
1st Dam: Misty North, by North Light (Ire)
2nd Dam: Misty Gallop, by Victory Gallop
3rd Dam: Romanette, by Alleged
($1,200 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $1,000 RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP; $30,000 2yo '19 OBSOPN). O-George Krikorian; B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Joel Rosario. $137,500. Lifetime Record: GISW, 10-8-0-1, $1,217,184. Werk Nick Rating: D. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Temple City Terror, 120, m, 6, Temple City–It Takes Two, by More Than Ready. ($22,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Pocket Aces Racing LLC; B-Upson Downs Farm (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $50,000.
3–Virginia Joy (Ger), 124, m, 5, Soldier Hollow (GB)–Virginia Sun (Ger), by Doyen (Ire). (€975,000 3yo '20 ARARC). O-Peter M. Brant; B-Gestut Auenquelle (Ger); T-Chad C. Brown. $30,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.40, 14.70, 3.30.
Also Ran: Flanigan's Cove, Key Biscayne, Treasure Tails, Petricor (GB). Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Art Collector Returns From Saudi To Win Second Straight Alydar S.

In just his second start of the year, Art Collector returned from a poor showing overseas to take his successfully defend his title in Saratoga's Alydar S.

Beaten home by all but two in the G1 Saudi Cup Feb. 22, last year's GI Woodward S. winner returned to the United States and took his time regaining the form that saw him win three straight races in 2021 for Bill Mott, each with Beyer Speed Figures over 100 before fading off the pace late to finish 14 1/2-lengths behind Knicks Go (Paynter) in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 6.

The heavy 4-5 favorite for Thursday's event, Art Collector strode forward to set the pace three wide outside of Bal Harbour (First Samurai) and Chess Chief before clearing that duo as they turned up the backstretch. Through an easy opening quarter in :24.60, Art Collector relaxed nicely on the front end and when Luis Saez looked over his shoulder going into the far turn, he saw Joel Rosario already hard at work on Masqueparade with no other real threat looming. Still under an easy hand ride down the lane, Art Collector cruised home to a two-length win with his ears pricked on the line.

“We thought maybe if the outside horse [Masqueparade] wanted to go to the lead, we'd let him go and we'd have a target,” said winning trainer Bill Mott. “But as it worked out, he was on the lead by himself. It looked like he was going easily enough and it looked like every time that horse [Masqueparade] ran to him, he just maintained the same advantage.”

Art Collector, whose 3-year-old half-brother Legionnaire (Into Mischief) broke his maiden July 16 at Ellis Park, is out of a GISP half-sister to Bruce Lunsford's MGISP and 1999 GI Belmont S. hero Vision and Verse (Storm Cat). Distored Legacy has an urnaced 2-year-old named Classic Legacy (Into Mischief), a yearling filly by Justify, and a weanling filly by Medaglia d'Oro. She was bred back to Gun Runner for the 2023 season. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

ALYDAR S., $130,950, Saratoga, 8-4, (C), 4yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:51.84, ft.
1–ART COLLECTOR, 124, h, 5, Bernardini–Distorted Legacy (SW
& GISP, $421,466), by Distorted Humor. O/B-W. Bruce
Lunsford (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Luis Saez. $74,250. Lifetime
Record: GISW, 18-9-1-0, $1,729,555.
2–Masqueparade, 124, c, 4, Upstart–Cry War Eagle, by
Any Given Saturday. ($100,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV; $180,000 Ylg
'19 KEESEP). O-FTGGG Racing; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY);
T-Albert M. Stall, Jr. $27,000.
3–Chess Chief, 124, h, 6, Into Mischief–Un Blessed, by
Mineshaft. ($145,000 RNA Ylg '17 FTSAUG). O-Estate of James
J. Coleman, Jr.; B-Morgan's Ford Farm (VA); T-Dallas Stewart.
$16,200.
Margins: 2, 7HF, NO. Odds: 0.80, 2.70, 29.25.
Also Ran: Mystic Night, Bal Harbour. Scratched: King Fury.

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