Del Mar: Jimmy Creed, Fed Biz square off in El Cajon Stakes

Shigeki Kikkawa

Jimmy Creed will stretch out to a mile in Friday's El Cajon Stakes at Del Mar.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Jimmy Creed, one of the most-promising late-developing 3-year-olds on this circuit, and Fed Biz, whose bid for the spring classics was short-circuited earlier this year, head a field of six 3-year-olds entered in the $100,000 El Cajon Stakes on Friday at Del Mar.

While Fed Biz is certainly the better known of the two – his runaway allowance win at Santa Anita on Feb. 9 put him on many a Kentucky Derby list – it is Jimmy Creed who benefits by recency, having made all his starts since May 28. He comes off a victory in a first-level allowance here July 29 going six furlongs and now will try to extend his range to one mile on Polytrack.

“He’s always made us think he’ll get a mile,” said Richard Mandella, who trains Jimmy Creed. “Me, the riders who get on him, all of us watching him thought a mile would be up his alley.”

Jimmy Creed, a son of Distorted Humor, was purchased as a yearling for $900,000 by the Spendthrift Farm of B. Wayne Hughes. He did not get to the races until Memorial Day and finished second going 6 1/2 furlongs at Betfair Hollywood Park. He came back to defeat maidens July 4 at Hollywood Park before overcoming a slow start to win last time out.

“His first race, he was a little heavy,” Mandella said. “He needed it, and he still ran well. Last time, he stumbled a little leaving there, so we took him back and he came through.”

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Garrett Gomez, who is 2 for 2 on Jimmy Creed, is back aboard.

Fed Biz lost his debut sprinting in November at Hollywood Park, but then stretched out around two turns at Santa Anita and won impressively against maidens and in a first-level allowance. He subsequently was taken out of training because he was not moving to trainer Bob Baffert’s satisfaction, though a thorough examination never found anything specifically amiss.

Since arriving at Del Mar earlier this summer, Fed Biz has turned in a series of eye-catching workouts. Baffert said he decided to enter Fed Biz in the El Cajon at the last minute, and regular rider Rafael Bejarano already had committed to Unusual Heatwave for trainer Alexis Barba, so Joe Talamo ended up being named on Fed Biz for the El Cajon.

“It’s a one-shot deal,” Baffert said. “Rafael already had given a call to Alexis.”

In fact, Baffert said Martin Garcia would have been the backup for Fed Biz, but last weekend Garcia dropped the appeal of a three-day suspension from earlier this meet, and that suspension is now set to begin Friday.

Baffert said Fed Biz “has been moving really well here,” and he is eager to get a race into him at Del Mar rather than wait another month until Santa Anita’s fall meeting begins.

“It’s not an easy spot, with Jimmy Creed and Alexis’s horse,” Baffert said.

Unusual Heatwave captured the Real Good Deal Stakes against California-breds going seven furlongs Aug. 3.

Tribal Tribute, Shaun Washington, and Private Zone round out the field.