King Kreesa calls rivals' bluff in Poker

ELMONT, N.Y. - Back in his youth, when he was a 4-year-old, King Kreesa proved extremely dangerous when allowed to dictate the pace. In the summer of 2013, King Kreesa won the Grade 3 Poker in front-running fashion and came within 1 1/4 lengths of upsetting Wise Dan in the Grade 2 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga.

On Saturday, in the 30th renewal of the Poker, now worth $300,000, the 6-year-old King Kreesa gave a not-so-subtle reminder just how dangerous he can be when left to his own devices.

In a race that looked to have ample early speed, King Kreesa was able to get away with a relatively soft pace and rode that advantage to a three-quarter-length victory in the Poker on a summer-like afternoon at Belmont Park.

Vyjack, making his turf debut and first start for Bill Mott, rallied to get second by a head over the Chilean-bred champion Il Campione. He finished a half-length in front of All Included, who was followed, in order, by Long On Value, Paris Vegas, Heart to Heart, Howe Great and In Speight Ofitall. Ironicus was scratched due to a cough, trainer Shug McGaughey said Saturday morning.

Under Jose Ortiz, King Kreesa had a 1 1/2-length while only having to run a half-mile in 47.76 seconds, and had plenty left to run a second half-mile in 45.72 seconds while covering a mile in 1:33.48 over a firm Widener turf course.

The win was the eighth from 24 starts for King Kreesa, a New York-bred gelding by King Cugat owned by Gerald and Susan Kresa and trained by David Donk. King Kreesa joined fellow New York-bred Fourstardave (1989 and 1993) and Affirmed Success (2000-01) as two-time winners of the Poker.

King Kreesa, who had not won since taking the West Point for New York-breds at Saratoga last summer, returned a healthy $36.80 as the sixth choice in the nine-horse field.

The bettors probably felt that King Kreesa would not get such an easy lead with the presence of Heart to Heart in the field. Heart to Heart had been on or pressing the pace in his last six starts.

Ortiz also thought Heart to Heart would be in front of him, but was pleasantly surprised when jockey Luis Saez took a hold to sit second.

“My plan was to go to the lead, but if [Heart to Heart] goes as fast as he did last time I would sit second,” Ortiz said. “But my horse broke perfect. I got the lead and I took it. Down the backside I’m traveling well and I know I’m going easy. At the quarter pole I let him roll and he responded very well and kept going.”

The slow pace certainly compromised those trying to come from off of it including Vyjack and Il Campione. Vyjack, a multiple graded stakes winner on dirt, rallied from seventh to get second in his turf debut.

“I thought it was a very good effort,” said Leanna Willaford, assistant to Mott. “Less pace than we expected, unfortunately. He closed very well and galloped out in front.”

Trainer Chad Brown said that Il Campione and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. got hung out wide all the way around as a result of the slow pace. The Poker was the first U.S. race for Il Campione.

Brown said that if the field had been more strung out then Ortiz might have been able to save more ground with Il Campione.

“But all in all, the horse ran really well," Brown said. "He got just a little tired at the end. He should get a lot out of the race. From here on out, I’ll stretch the horse out.”

Brown said he would look at the Arlington Handicap at 1 3/16 miles on July 11 for Il Campione as a prep for the Arlington Million on Aug. 15.