Casa Creed, after Jaipur triumph, now seeks suitable sprint distance
Now that Casa Creed has confirmed himself as a top-quality turf sprinter, trainer Bill Mott may be lacking for the appropriate spots for the 5-year-old son of Jimmy Creed.
Casa Creed won Saturday’s Grade 1 Jaipur going six furlongs, which followed his victory going seven furlongs in the Elusive Quality here April 24. Casa Creed got a 105 Beyer Speed Figure for the win.
The win in the Jaipur earned Casa Creed a fees-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 6. Problem is, at Del Mar, that race is five furlongs, which may be too short.
“Maybe we’ll have a chance to shorten up to 5 1/2 and see what happens, that will let us know whether to try it or not,” Mott said.
Saratoga has the Grade 3, $200,000 Troy Stakes going 5 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 6. Kentucky Downs however, has a $1 million Turf Sprint going six furlongs on Sept. 11.
Mott ran 1-2 in the Jaipur as Chewing Gum, a 28-1 longshot, got up for second by three-quarters of a length over favored Bound for Nowhere.
Mott had several other runners perform well in Grade 1 stakes on Saturday. Obligatory finished second to Search Results in the Grade 1 Acorn at a mile. She will likely be pointed to the Grade 1 Test on Aug. 7. That race is at seven furlongs, a distance at which she won the Eight Belles at Churchill Downs in May.
Nova Rags finished third behind Drain the Clock and Jackie’s Warrior.
“He wasn’t good enough yesterday, but we took our shot,” Mott said. “We knew they’d go fast and hoped they would back up more than they did, but they didn’t.”
Drain the Clock, trained by Saffie Joseph, and Jackie’s Warrior are likely headed for a rematch in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens at Saratoga on Aug. 28.
*** Lone Rock, dominant 11 1/4-length winner of the Grade 2 Brooklyn at 1 1/2 miles, will be kept at marathon distances and will most likely make his next start in the $120,000 Birdstone Stakes going 1 3/4 miles at Saratoga on Aug. 5, trainer Robertino Diodoro told the New York Racing Association.