Bill Mott trains the winner for sports talk radio host Mike Francesa and his racing partner Lee Einsidler

“It’s been unbelievable. He has a great kick. I thought if he could be patient and make one run he could win, and he did, beating a great filly. For breeding, it was big to get him a Grade 1 at two turns,” said Francesa.

Casa Creed had finished third in the last two runnings of the Fourstardave but had won the last two runnings of the six-furlong Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes, the most recent after he had finished fifth to A Case Of You in Meydan.

“We’ll talk about that,” said Mott about which Breeders’ Cup race, Sprint or Mile, looks best for the six-year-old.

The pace in the Fourstardave was set by Get Smokin, who led in the mile test through six furlongs in 1m 11.24secs on firm turf with Juddmonte’s Masen (ex-Ger Lyons) chasing in second.

On the final turn, Peter Brant’s Regal Glory launched her move three wide. Three were lined across the track in mid-stretch. Outside of them, Casa Creed was last early but Luis Saez strategy on the sprint winner was to sit back and make one late run and he swept by them in the final furlong and won by a length and a half in a time of 1m 34.20secs. It was Regal Glory first defeat in 2022 in four starts.

O’Brien raider second

Joseph O’Brien’s satellite US yard had a runner on Sunday at Saratoga in the $150,000 Mahony Stakes, a five and a half-furlong turf sprint for three-year-olds. Cadamosto ran well but was no match for a colt that might make a bigger impression on the US turf sprinting scene.

Trainer Christophe Clement had high praise for his winner Big Invasion (Declaration Of War) after he gave the pacesetting That’s Right seven lengths start off a fast opening quarter-mile in 21.76 secs over the firm turf.

Cadamosto and Tyler Gaffalione were two lengths back but, just as the Irish horse took it up in the straight, Big Invasion breezed by on his outside improving his record to six wins from seven starts.

Clement hopes Big Invasion may be ready to take the step up to top company at the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland.

“I’ve always thought he was the best three-year-old in the country on the grass sprinting. I need to give him some time at some stage, and maybe we can think about a race like the Breeders’ Cup even if it’s very ambitious. Why not?” Clement said.

Global is still Going strong

THE Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon saw the Irish-bred Going Global return to winning ways with a comfortable victory on the turf at Del Mar.

Fourth for the opening six furlongs as Javanica led, once asked for effort by Umberto Rispoli leaving the second turn, the daughter of Mehmas surged to the lead and drew clear under a hand ride to win by three lengths.

“I thought Umberto had her perfectly placed from the get-go, and it was just a matter of when he was going to press the button. When he did, she responded. All credit to Umberto and the filly,” said trainer Phil D’Amato. “When we came out of the turn, she gave me another gear. Then it was all over. I didn’t do a thing,” Rispoli added. Avenue De France rallied to second with Javanica in third.

The Grade 2 John C Mabee in September is next for the Nicky Hartery-bred filly. Her record now stands at nine wins from 15 starts with earnings closing in on $1 million.