Private Creed's stakes win gives Asmussen another BC chance

Private Creed swept past favored No Nay Hudson inside the sixteenth pole and went on to post a three-quarters of a length victory over a fast-closing Mo Stash in the fifth running of the $250,000 Indian Summer for 2-year-olds at Keeneland on Saturday.

Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden Joel Rosario, Private Creed covered the 5 1/2 furlongs on the firm turf course in a record in the listed stakes of 1:02.30.

With the victory, Private Creed earned a fees-paid berth to the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint to be run here Nov. 4 for owner Mike McCarty.

Ghent led a tight pack through an opening quarter-mile in :21.68 as Rosario kept Private Creed in the clear while running in the second flight of horses. At the head of the stretch, Ghent started to retreat with No Nay Hudson taking over at the eighth pole.

By then Private Creed was rolling on the outside, overtaking No Nay Hudson passing the sixteenth pole and going on to the victory.

A Keeneland sales graduate, Private Creed is a Kentucky-bred son of Jimmy Creed out of the Sky Mesa mare South Andros. Now a two-time stakes winner, Private Creed owns a record of 4-3-0-1 and has earnings of $509,313 of which $145,313 came Sunday.

Private Creed returned $7.28, $4.02 and $2.44. Mo Stash, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, returned $7.30 and $3.64 and finished a length in front of No Nay Hudson, who paid $2.46 to show under John Velazquez.

It was another length back to Ghent, who was followed in order by Mounsieur Coco, Bourbon Therapy, Kbcya Later, Revere Note, Numero Seis and Castelmola.