Casa Creed holds off Annapolis in Kelso Stakes
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Casa Creed won his maiden here in summer 2018 and five years later he’s still demonstrating his affinity for Saratoga as on Saturday he won the Grade 3, $175,000 Kelso Stakes by one length over favored Annapolis.
The win was Casa Creed’s fourth at Saratoga, three of them coming in turf stakes at one mile. In 2019, he won the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes, last year he won the Grade 1 Fourstardave and now the Kelso.
“I guess we all get hyped up about Saratoga,” his trainer, Bill Mott, said. “Casa Creed is one of us.”
Casa Creed received a superb ride from Luis Saez, who did a good job of keeping Annapolis, the 4-5 favorite, to his inside down the backstretch while they raced fifth and sixth respectively behind pacesetting Big Everest.
Going into the far turn, Saez got the jump Annapolis, advancing three wide around the turn and into the stretch. Annapolis, under Irad Ortiz Jr., had to follow Casa Creed but could not catch him.
Casa Creed, a 7-year-old son of Jimmy Creed owned by Lee Einsidler and Mike Francesa, and trained by Bill Mott, covered the mile in 1:35.51 and returned $6.50 to win. He was given a 100 Beyer Speed Figure.
Casa Creed improved his record to 8-5-5 from 32 starts and increased his career purse earnings to $2,185,308.
“He wants to run, so as long as he’s telling us he wants to run that’s what [we’ll] do,” Einsidler said. “When he tells us he wants to retire we’ll find a home for him.”
Annapolis finished second by 1 1/4 lengths over English Bee. Ice Chocolat was fourth followed by Big Everest, Filo Di Arianna and Anaconda. Mid Day Image and main-track-only entrant Gunit were scratched.
Saez said he could tell before the race Casa Creed was amped up for the Kelso.
“I could feel behind the gate he was tough, I don’t want to take too much [away] from him,” Saez said. “I just want to let him break and be comfortable and he was pretty comfortable. He came to the top of the stretch and he gave me a big kick.”
Todd Pletcher, the trainer of Annapolis, said he wanted his horse to be a little closer to the pace early but he was off a step slow and got bumped a stride or two after the start.
“We wanted to be a little more forward and ended up next to last entering the first turn, and kind of got bottled up down the backside,” Pletcher said. “I thought he ran a big race considering everything.”
It is likely that Casa Creed and Annapolis will meet again in the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave here on Aug. 12.
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