Mike Francesa’s horse just won another Grade 1 race.
Casa Creed, a 7-year-old son of Jimmy Creed, rallied down the stretch to catch leader Annapolis and score a repeat victory in the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.
“He loves Saratoga and he’s a great champion. This horse should be remembered for a long time,” Francesa of JEH Racing Stable and Casa Creed’s co-owner told The Sport after the victory in the one-mile race. “He has always been an ultra-consistent performer. He might not be as beloved as Fourstardave and he’s always been underrated, but he deserves the acclaim. He is a brilliant performer and a great racehorse.”
Casa Creed, the 9-5 second choice, paid 5.70 to win. Annapolis, the 6-5 favorite, was second and Ice Chocolat was third.
Francesa’s co-owner Lee Einsidler, of LRE Racing said he wasn’t happy with all of the attention Annapolis received before the race but was confident Casa Creed would be victorious.
“I was looking at the Daily Racing Form for today and Casa Creed was not on the cover. Annapolis was,” Einsidler said of Casa Creed, trained by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. “So, I took the Daily Racing Form to the barn this morning at 5:30 and I showed it to ‘Casa.’ I told him ‘You’re disrespected again.’ He looked at me and winked and said, ‘Don’t worry, boss. We’ll get them today’ “
Casa Creed, who has won more than $2.4 million, is now set up to run in horse racing’s Super Bowl, the Breeders’ Cup, on Nov. 3 and Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.
Mott said he is unsure of the next race for Casa Creed, who will get some much deserved rest in the meantime.
“He’s a good horse, very special,” Mott said about Casa Creed, who also is a two-time winner of the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes. “How can you ask for anything more? He’s improved with every year he’s raced. He’s as good now as he ever was.”
Francesa would agree.
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