Private Creed comes into turf sprint off rich win

Last-out graded stakes winner Private Creed looks to get the better of familiar foe Gaslight Dancer when the two meet again as part of a strong field of 3-year-olds in the $141,000 turf-sprint allowance feature on Thursday at Churchill Downs.

Private Creed, who will have Keith J. Asmussen in the irons for his father, Steve, emerged on the scene last year with wins in the Juvenile Sprint at Kentucky Downs and the Indian Summer Stakes at Keeneland, before finishing a closing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. After experimenting with slightly longer races and on the dirt earlier this year, he returned to his preferred surface and distance, but was well-beaten by Gaslight Dancer twice, finishing fifth as that one won the Palisades Stakes, then fifth in the William Walker Stakes, in which Gaslight Dancer was third.

After a brief spring and summer freshening, Private Creed got back in his groove. He rallied to finish second by a half-length despite being bumped in the Mahony Stakes at Saratoga, a race in which Gaslight Dancer was fifth. He got back in the win column at Kentucky Downs, winning the Grade 2, $968,000 Franklin-Simpson by 2 1/2 lengths.

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Although that race was at 6 1/2 furlongs, and feels more like seven on the Kentucky Downs turf, he is a multiple winner at Thursday’s 5 1/2-furlong distance. He was pre-entered for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at this distance, but when the committee ranked him well down the preference list for that race, he was shipped back to Kentucky.

Gaslight Dancer is cutting back to a preferred distance after experimenting at a mile, finishing fourth in the Gun Runner at Kentucky Downs, then seventh in the Jefferson Cup on this course. The Grade 3-placed stakes winner, who will have Tyler Gaffalione aboard for Mike Maker, has shown an ability to rally from off the pace, as he did in his Palisades win.

However, he also has raced on or near the lead successfully, tactics he used in his maiden win last year, and when a close second in the Grade 3 Futurity in New York. That could serve him well in Thursday’s allowance, where the only confirmed speed seems to be Money Run, who will start from the rail. If that colt, who has changed hands twice via the claim box this year, can’t stay with him, Gaslight Dancer could be the controlling speed.

There’s no rain in the forecast until Friday in the Louisville, Ky., area, but if the race was moved off the turf, three-time dirt sprint stakes winner Ryvit, entered for the main track only by Asmussen, would be a virtual certainty to assume favoritism.

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