Casa Creed continues Saratoga dominance, repeats in Fourstardave

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Trainer Bill Mott knew the connections of Annapolis were going to try and get the jump on his 7-year-old Casa Creed in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap, unlike what happened in last month’s Grade 3 Kelso Handicap.

As he watched the race unfold, Mott thought those tactics might work.

“It looked like they were going to pull it off,” Mott said. “But you know what? That was a pretty good horse that was chasing his ass.”

Pretty good horse, indeed.

Casa Creed, 2 1/2 lengths behind Annapolis turning for home, unleashed his potent turn of foot under Luis Saez to run down Annapolis and Irad Ortiz Jr. and win the Fourstardave at Saratoga by three-quarters of a length, duplicating the order of finish from the Kelso.

It was the second consecutive year that Casa Creed won the Fourstardave. He joined Wise Dan (2012-13) as the only horse to do that. Fourstardave himself won back-to-back runnings of this race when it was known as the Daryl’s Joy in 1990-91. Those two horses did it at ages 5 and 6.

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Casa Creed did it at ages 6 and 7. Remarkably, he ran the same final time -1:34.20 - both times. Casa Creed got a 101 Beyer Speed Figure for winning the mile-long Fourstardave on turf.

Even Mott admitted to being surprised that Casa Creed is as good as he is at 7 years old.

“Yes, as a matter of fact,” Mott said as he arrived in the paddock to saddle a horse for the race immediately following the Fourstardave. “It’s pretty amazing. You know, I’ve had some nice horses, and over time, eventually they all lose a step. He’s as good now as he was at any time in his life.”

Said Saez: “At his age, he’s getting better and better.”

Since winning the 2022 Fourstardave, Casa Creed lost four straight races, though he was only beaten a head in the Grade 3 1351 Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia in February.

Casa Creed returned to the winner’s circle in the Kelso here July 15 when he got the jump on Annapolis and held that one off by a length at the wire.

Saez knew that Ortiz would be more aggressive Saturday on Annapolis and indeed he was, placing him third, just two lengths off the pace of My Sea Cottage, who ran an opening half-mile in 46.57 seconds. Casa Creed was a length behind Annapolis at that point.

Turning for home, Saez got Casa Creed in the clear and he chased down Annapolis in deep stretch.

“We knew he was going to come from there aggressive and the plan was to make him do it, see if the pace got a little bit faster and see if we can catch him,” Saez said. “Everything worked out pretty well.”

Ice Chocolat rallied to finish third, 4 1/2 lengths in front of My Sea Cottage. Emmanuel, Full Screen, and So High completed the order of finish.

Casa Creed, a son of Jimmy Creed owned by Lee Einsidler and retired radio personality Mike Francesa, won his eighth stakes race - fourth at Saratoga - and ninth race overall from 33 starts. He raised his career earnings to $2,460,308.

Casa Creed also earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Mile to be run Nov. 4 at Santa Anita. Casa Creed has twice run in the Mile, finishing last at Keeneland in 2020 and 8th in 2021 at Del Mar. Last year, he finished 9th in the BC Turf Sprint at Keeneland, a surface he clearly does not like.

Despite getting beat as the favorite in the Kelso, Annapolis was favored again over Casa Creed Saturday. He got the trip his connections were looking for, but he simply was second best.

“He has a tendency not to break great so we wanted to establish position,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “We got to a spot we were happy with, just got outkicked at the end.”

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