King Kreesa Rules in Forbidden Apple
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Gerald and Susan Kresa’s homebred King Kreesa stamped himself as Belmont Park’s newest millionaire on Saturday afternoon with a tactical, 2 ½-length victory over multiple graded stakes winner Wicked Strong in the $150,000 Forbidden Apple for older horses.
Contested at one mile over a firm Widener turf course, King Kreesa broke from the gate on top of the field but quickly faced a challenge from Howe Great, who rushed to the lead under Cornelio Velasquez. Not tempted by the frontrunner, King Kreesa and Jose Ortiz contently tracked the pace, with the opening quarter mile going in 23.42 seconds and the half in 45.79.
The tightly-packed field reached the top of the stretch under a blanket as Howe Great faded into the pack. King Kreesa held off a bid from Reload, the even-money favorite, and drew off to finish the mile in 1:32.34.
“The race didn’t start off like we planned,” said Ortiz. “I just saw Cornelio [Velasquez] went off and I just let him go. My horse relaxed very well, at the three-eighths pole, I’m coming along with the favorite [Reload] and when we turned for home at the quarter-pole he switched leads and I hit him left handed and I knew we were going to win cause he responded very well.”
Wicked Strong, making his turf debut, closed late following a slow break to finish second, a half-length ahead of Vyjack in third. Reload, Grand Arch and Howe Great completed the order of finish. Choctaw Chuck and Aztec Brave were scratched.
In addition to earning millionaire status, King Kreesa, winner of the Grade 3 Poker in his last start, improves his career record to nine wins, five seconds and four thirds from 24 starts. The 6-year-old gelding returned $15.20 for a $2 win bet.
“Obviously Jose [Ortiz] gets along with him,” said winning trainer David Donk. “But I was very impressed with the way he kicked on through the stretch. If you go back on his form, when Jeremiah [Englehart] had him, in the [2013] Mohawk he laid second behind a speed horse, so I know he’s done it before. Good horses are not supposed to be one-dimensional. Even as a fan I was impressed today.”
King Kreesa, who finished second in the 2013 edition of the Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga to two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan, will likely take another shot at the Grade 2 race on August 15, according to his connections.
“Why not? It’s Saratoga,” said Donk.
Source: NYRA Communications
Source: NYRA Communications
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