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Longshot Exacta In Jaipur Highlight Of Successful Belmont Day For Hall Of Famer Mott

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott saddled a pair of longshot chances in Saturday's Grade 1, $400,000 Jackpocket Jaipur and ended up completing a personal exacta when Casa Creed [10-1] posted a two-length score over stablemate Chewing Gum [28-1] in the six-furlong inner turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up on Belmont Stakes day at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Owned by LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable, the 5-year-old son of Jimmy Creed registered a career-best 105 Beyer for his first win since capturing the one-mile Grade 2 Hall of Fame in August 2019 at Saratoga.

While Saturday's victory came with a “Win and You're In” berth to the five-furlong Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in November at Del Mar, Mott said the distance is likely too short for Casa Creed, who may have found a new niche after winning the seven-furlong Elusive Quality in April on the Belmont green after a long string of races at one mile or greater.

“We'd been looking for some races that would be appropriate, he's not necessarily the greatest miler, I suppose,” said Mott. “We've known he doesn't want to get over a mile.

“He ran the seven-eighths here and ran good,” added Mott regarding the Elusive Quality score. “We'd meant to try him in shorter races in the past but it didn't work out for one reason or another, but it worked out yesterday.”

Mott said he was pleased with the condition of the turf for the Jaipur, which was rated as 'good' despite a deluge of rain on Friday that led to a yielding turf on Day Two of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in which the Mott-trained Harvey's Lil Goil finished an even fifth in the 10-furlong Grade 2, $750,000 New York.

Over a drying-out course in the Jaipur, Bound for Nowhere rattled off swift splits of 22.06 and 44.65 to the half-mile, setting up Casa Creed for a sharp closing kick, stopping the click in 1:08.04.

“Given the New York handicap the day before, I thought they might go three-quarters in 11 or 12,” said Mott. “The course held up really well. They weren't kicking up anything. I'll give the NYRA turf man a pat on the back for that. It was in good shape and handled the water well.”

Mott said he has no immediate target for Casa Creed.

“Maybe we'll have a chance to shorten him up to 5 ½,” he offered.

Junior Alvarado, who engineered the winning Jaipur trip, was at the Mott barn Sunday morning and expressed his joy at seeing Casa Creed break through at the top flight.

“He's been right there knocking on the door for a Grade 1 and finally he got it,” said Alvarado.

The veteran rider said it was good to hear the roar of the crowd on Saturday with 11,238 fans in attendance.

“It makes it more exciting,” said Alvarado. “We're competitive athletes and to have the fans there screaming and yelling, it definitely gets you more excited. We needed that yesterday.”

Wachtel Stable, Pantofel Stable and Jerold Zaro's Chewing Gum rallied from last-of-9 to complete the exacta. The 6-year-old multiple graded-stakes placed son of Candy Ride earned a personal-best 99 Beyer.

“He ran a super race, take nothing away from him,” said Mott. “For me, he's the same [as Casa Creed]; a mile stretches him a little bit and five and a half [furlongs] is a little bit sharp – he's coming, it's amazing what they can do in that last sixteenth.”

The Mott-trained exacta returned $335.50 for a $2 wager.

Mott said the Estate of Harvey A. Clarke and Paul Braverman's multiple graded-stakes winner Harvey's Lil Goil, winner of the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup in October at Keeneland, didn't handle the yielding turf on Friday.

Michael Shanley's Nova Rags, runner-up in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Peter Pan in May at Belmont, turned back to seven-furlongs and finished third behind winner Drain the Clock and runner-up Jackie's Warrior in Saturday's Grade 1 Woody Stephens.

“Grade 1 placed and got a check,” said Mott, with a grin. “He wasn't good enough yesterday, but we took our shot. We knew they'd go fast and hoped they would back up more than they did, but they didn't. They kept going, two good horses.”

Juddmonte Farms homebred Obligatory, a sophomore daughter of Curlin, closed five-wide down the lane to finish second, by a half-length, to Search Results in Saturday's Grade 1 Acorn.

Dayoutoftheoffice posted moderate splits of 23.50, 47.23 and 1:11 in the one-turn mile before giving way to the Kentucky Oaks-runner-up, who got the jump on Obligatory.

“She ran well; no pace,” said Mott. “It was a pace-less race. Didn't suit her, but she still ran good. Take nothing away from the winner.”

Mott indicated Obligatory, winner of the Grade 2 Eight Belles in April at Churchill Downs, would target the seven-furlong Grade 1 Longines Test for sophomore fillies on August 7 at Saratoga.

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Bill Mott Goes 1-2 In Grade 1 Jaipur With Casa Creed, Chewing Gum

Trainer Bill Mott came away from the Grade 1 Jaipur smiling as his runners Casa Creed and Chewing Gum closed from far back to run 1-2 in the Breeders' Cup Win and You're In for the Turf Sprint. Both Mott trainees lingered at the back of the pack in the early going of the six-furlong contest on Belmont Park's inner turf course. Junior Alvarado guided Casa Creed ahead of his stablemate and began a casual move at the end of the backstretch, creeping up past rivals on the turn.

Bound For Nowhere, Gregorian Chant, and Fast Boat guided the field for the early going, with Bound For Nowhere looking like he was going to hang on for the wire. At the eighth mile pole, Alvarado and Casa Creed still had a lot of work to do but put on a burst of late speed to catch early leader Bound for Nowhere. Casa Creed came flying in the center of the course for a decisive margin at the wire. Chewing Gum was second, Bound for Nowhere third and Stubbins fourth.

The final time for the six furlongs was 1:08.04.

Casa Creed is now undefeated from two career starts under one mile for owners LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable. His previous credits include a win in the Elusive Quality last out and a victory in the G2 Hall of Fame stakes in 2019.

Casa Creed is a 5-year-old son of Jimmy Creed and Bellamy Road mare Achalaya. He was bred in Kentucky by Silver Springs Stud. Casa Creed was a $15,000 yearling purchase at the OBS Winter Mixed Sale, where he was consigned by Janie Roper and purchased by Amalio Ruiz-Lozano. He was then sold to LRE at Keeneland September for $105,000, where he was consigned by Kelli Mitchell.

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Wet Your Whistle Avoids Loose Horse, Wins Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational

David Palmer's Wet Your Whistle had already registered a Grade 1 win on the grass in addition to a stakes win on a synthetic surface. On Sunday, the versatile 5-year-old again produced a professional effort, powering home a 3 1/4-length winner in the Grade 3, $150,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Out of the gate, Backtohisroots stumbled and unseated rider Jose Lezcano running loose at the front of the pack. Under jockey Jose Ortiz, Wet Your Whistle was still forwardly placed, staying in second position behind Battle Station before taking command with the opening quarter-mile in 22.47 seconds on the firm outer turf. Ortiz kept pressing his charge, with the half-mile going in 45.15.

The Michael Trombetta trainee maintained the edge out of the turn, with five furlongs going in 56.03, before outkicking Chewing Gum to complete the six-furlong course in a 1:07.87 final time.

“The loose horse broke and kind of kept the two speed horses, Big Wonder and Battle Station, way out on the track,” Ortiz said. “My horse broke very sharp out of the gate, so I just played it by ear. I'm just really glad it worked out.

“He was doing it very nicely the first half-mile, he was just on the beat,” he added. “Past the quarter pole, I asked him to go and had the loose horse right next to me and he just engaged with him. He started running. I think 1:07 and 4 is pretty fast for this kind of track. It's been a little heavy all day.”

Wet Your Whistle did not make his first graded stakes start until his 4-year-old campaign, when he won in his first attempt in the 2019 Grade 1 Highlander at Woodbine. Off an 11-month break, the gelded son of Stroll won the Karl Boyes over the synthetic track at Presque Isle Downs in August in his seasonal bow.

After an off-the-board finish in the Laurel Dash last month, he won his first race at Belmont in three tries.

“He had been training well. When I ran him last time the turf was soft, and he just didn't enjoy it at all,” Trombetta said. “He jumped on the bridle and had a little bit of a target. Jose took advantage of the situation. A lot of times in these races, you want to try to get the best trip possible. One thing about putting them up there, is your either good enough or you aren't.”

Off at 8-1, Wet Your Whistle returned $19 on a $2 win bet and increased his career earnings to $420,653.

“When Mike Trombetta ships here, he doesn't come here to play games,” Ortiz said. “His horses are 100 percent ready.”

Wet Your Whistle could potentially target the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on November 7 at Keeneland, though Trombetta did not commit to that spot yet.

“I'll have to talk to the owner and see what's involved. In these kinds of races, especially the turf sprinters, it's a select group that all run against each other and all beat each other here and there,” Trombetta said. “If you're going to take a chance, these are the kind of horses to do it with.”

Chewing Gum, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, edged Archidust by a nose in his first start since running off the board in the Grade 1 Fourstardave on August 22 at Saratoga Race Course.

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, who rode Chewing Gum, was second in all three of Belmont's graded stakes races, with Caldee the runner-up in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo in Race 7 and Point of Honor in the Grade 2 Beldame in Race 8.

“I had a beautiful trip,” Castellano said. “I have no complaints. I felt like they didn't go that fast because everyone was screaming 'Loose horse' and everyone had to control their race and take a hold. I wish there could've been more pace, but it is what it is. We still finished up strong and well.”

Fog of War, Holiday Stone, Battle Station and Big Wonder completed the order of finish. Pulsate was scratched, as was main-track only entrant Chateau. Lezcano, aboard Backtohisroots, said he was in good order following evaluation by EMS after the race. Backtohisroots was apprehended by the outrider and walked home under his own power.

Live racing will resume Thursday at Belmont with a 10-race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

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