Saratoga 2023: Casa Creed fends off Annapolis, wins Kelso
Multiple Grade 1-winner Casa Creed got the jump on favored Annapolis and held on strong to post a one-length score in Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Kelso Stakes, a one-mile inner turf test for older horses at Saratoga.
Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott and piloted by Luis Saez, the 7-year-old Jimmy Creed horse owned by LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable has now won three graded events traveling one mile over the Saratoga turf, taking the 2019 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (G2) and last year’s Fourstardave Handicap (G1).
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“It’s very rewarding,” said Mott of conditioning the evergreen Casa Creed. “Ordinarily, you don’t get any more than two seasons out of a horse running at the top level. To have a horse that can run at two, three, and maybe four seasons to run at the very highest level is very good. You don’t find those kind.”
Casa Creed has proven to be proficient at a variety of distances, notching back-to-back editions of the six-furlong Jaipur (G1) in 2021-22 at Belmont Park and missing narrowly when second in the last two runnings of the 6 3/4-furlong Turf Sprint (G3) at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Saudi Arabia.
Lee Einsidler of LRE Racing spoke volumes of the hard-trying Casa Creed.
“He’s special. He’s taken us around the world and he’s made a huge difference in our lives, really,” Einsidler said. “When you get into this game, they become part of your family. Life is all about building memories and this is another great one.”
Casa Creed exited the outermost post 7 and settled in sixth position in the early stages to the outside of Annapolis. He advanced with purpose approaching the final turn and quickly swooped by the field to take command from Big Everest at the stretch call. Annapolis angled off the rail and attempted to follow Casa Creed’s run through the turn, but he could not reel in the winner, who stopped the clock in a final time of 1:35.51.
It was a further 1 1/4-lengths back to English Bee in third with Ice Chocolat, Big Everest, Filo Di Arianna and Anaconda rounding out the order of finish. Mid Day Image and main-track-only entrant Gun It were scratched.
Saez said having outside position on his main rival Annapolis proved to be beneficial.
Irad Ortiz Jr., aboard Grade 1-winner Annapolis, said he had no choice but to wait for Saez to make his move.
“He beat me,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “I kind of waited a little longer than I wanted to, but I kind of had to. There was nowhere to go and I kind of stayed steady waiting for Luis to make his move and then I followed him.”
Mott said he was pleased to see Casa Creed keep the well-regarded Annapolis at bay.
“That was a good horse – it says something for Casa Creed because the horse he beat is a real horse and a real tough competitor. He handled him today,” Mott said.
Mott said he is hopeful Casa Creed can defend his title in the $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap (G1) on Aug. 12.
“He’s a fun horse. We love to see him run and we try to give him enough time to make sure he’s ready to go but at this point in time it doesn’t have to be a Grade 1. The Fourstardave is and that’s a big goal, but to be able to see him and have him compete is great fun,” Mott said. “His owner (Einsidler) loves Saratoga, too. Not only Casa Creed but his owner, too. I guess we all get hyped up about Saratoga right? Casa Creed is one of us.”
Einsidler noted that the $2.1 million earner, who was purchased for $105,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, will continue to race as long as he’s competitive.
“He wants to run, so as long as he’s telling us he wants to run that’s what we’ll do. When he tells us he wants to retire, we’ll find a home for him,” Einsidler said.
Bred in Kentucky by Silver Springs Stud, Casa Creed banked $96,250 in victory, while improving his record to 32: 8-5-5. He returned $6.50 for a $2 win bet.