Saratoga

Fourstardave Stakes (Grade 1)

SEVEN-year-old multiple Grade 1 winners should have a special place in racing history with so many horses retired early to stud.

In winning his second Grade 1 Fourstardave Stakes, Casa Creed gained a special place in Saratoga history. And for good measure, he ran the mile on turf in 1m 34.20sec, exactly the same time he had in winning the race in 2022.

The seven-year-old entire by Jimmy Creed, owned by LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable, won by three-quarters of a length for trainer Bill Mott and rider Luis Saez. The race name honours the gelding Fourstardave, a multiple graded stakes winner and full-brother to the Irish 2000 Guineas winner Fourstars Allstar, who won in eight years in a row at Saratoga during a 100-race career.

“He loves Saratoga and he’s a great champion. This horse should be remembered for a long time,” Mike Francesa of JEH racing Stable was quoted by BloodHorse. “He is a brilliant performer and a great racehorse.”

The entire was running in the Fourstardave for a fourth year in a row and Casa Creed was sent off as the second favourite to Annapolis in the mile test on the inner turf course. Casa Creed had beaten Annapolis in the July 15th Grade 3 Kelso Stakes at this track.

“He’s a good horse, very special,” Mott said of the now four-time Grade 1 winner and $2.46 million earner. “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.”

In the Kelso, also at a mile on the track’s inner turf course, Casa Creed got first run on Annapolis and forged to the lead in the stretch to post a length victory over Todd Pletcher’s Grade 1 winner.

In the Fourstardave, Annapolis pressed the pace and took the lead entering the straight but they could not fend off the late run of Casa Creed and Luis Saez.

Irish-bred winner

There was another Irish-bred winner and another success for a son of Lope De Vega at Saratoga on Friday evening when the Chad Brown-trained Carl Spackler won the Grade 2 National Museum Of Racing Hall Of Fame Stakes over a mile. The chesnut three-year-old picked up this Grade 2 by two and a quarter lengths. Charlie Appleby’s Mysterious Night could only manage seventh of nine while the former Irish-trained Behind Enemy Lines was well held in fifth.

Carl Spackler is owned by breeder Bob Edwards, having been retained by him for 350,000gns as a yearling.

Colonial Downs

Arlington Million Stakes (Grade 1)

IT is a pretty common occurance over the decades to salute an impressive Group 1 or Grade 1 winner in the Juddmonte colours. On Saturday at Colonial Downs, Virginia, the seven-year-old Set Piece became the latest to add his name to the roll of honour when the Dansili gelding came with a late wide run under Florent Geroux to sweep by and win the Grade 1 Arlington Million by two lengths.

It was a first Grade 1 for the gelding who began his career with Hugo Palmer before joining Brad Cox in the US.

Each US Grade 1 turf contest seems to throw up a different winner, the early favourite Atone ended up sent off at 12/1 and it was Adhamo who went off favourite, on his first run since October 2022.

Strong Quality made the early running off decent fractions of 46.46secs for the half, 1m 10.12sec, and 1m 34.02 for the mile before Catnip made a brief effort.

Into the straight it looked briefly as if Godolphin’s Santin would pull off back-to-back wins, while Adhamo stayed on without ever looking like winning.

“It’s awesome. He just hit a million (in earnings) in his last race. That was kind of a big stepping stone for him and to add a Grade 1 is awesome,” assistant trainer Katie Tolbert told reporters.

“Juddmonte’s been wonderful to us and it’s great to have a horse for them like this. Everyone loves him. He’s a barn favourite so we’re really happy for him,” she added, also mentioning that the Breeders’ Cup Turf was his likely target.

The Grade 1 Million and the Beverly D. Stakes for fillies and mares and the Secretariat Stakes for three-year-olds comprised the biggest racing programme in the history of Virginia state. The Arlington Million card attracted a track-record, all-sources handle of $9,955,739.

Beverly D Stakes (Grade 1

THERE was an Irish-bred winner on the card as five-year-old mare Fev Rover gained reward for some consistent efforts when making all the running and seeing off allcomers to win the Grade 1 Beverly D Stakes over a mile and a furlong and a half. It was another big win for jockey of the summer Javier Castellano.

Her task was made easier by the withdrawals of likely favourite Didia, and of Chad Brown’s second string Rocky Sky to leave a field of five. The winner made the running and, when asked for a further effort in the straight, she kept up the gallop, proving much too strong for Gina Romantica, winning by three and a half lengths for owner Tracy Farmer.

Trainer Mark Casse said of the daughter of Gutaifan, bred by Manister House Stud: “She’s a really good horse. It’s taken her a little while to understand our racing. She’s a toughie but she looks magnificent. She’s really grown up in the last year. So we’re excited and looking for the Breeders Cup.”

There was no joy for the Godolphin runner and former classic candidate Silver Knott in the Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes over a mile. It looked a weak renewal and it went to an outsider in the Steve Asmussen-trained Gigante who held off Nagirroc by a neck, completing the mile in 1m 35.10secs over a firm turf course.

The Charlie Appleby runner had every chance, if a little short of room, on this his third run in the US this summer.

The winner is by Not This Time, also the sire of Asmussen’s star of last year, Epicenter and of his talented sprinter Cogburn. This was his first outing in Grade 2 company although the Virginia-bred had won at this track twice last year as a two-year-old and was most recently third in the July 15th Edward E. Evans Stakes, a local prep for the Secretariat.

“It seemed to me there was a lot of speed in the race,” said jockey Javier Castellano. “I tried to use my patience early in the race. When the gates opened he broke so well and he put me in good position. ... He’s a very professional horse.”

Impressive maiden winner and favourite Northern Invader faded to fifth.