Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Casa Creed, Annapolis set to meet again in BC Mile
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – If Casa Creed and Annapolis meet for a third time this year, it won’t happen until the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.
Casa Creed, who defeated Annapolis for a second time this meet when beating him by three-quarters of a length in Saturday’s Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap, won’t run again until the Breeders’ Cup, trainer Bill Mott said Sunday. Casa Creed earned a fees-paid berth in the BC Mile by virtue of his Fourstardave victory.
Annapolis, who also finished second to Casa Creed in the Grade 3 Kelso Handicap earlier this meet, will likely target the Grade 1, $1 million Coolmore Turf Mile on Oct. 7 at Keeneland. Annapolis won that race last year.
In the last two months, Casa Creed, a 7-year-old son of Jimmy Creed, finished third in the Grade 1 Jaipur and won the Grade 3 Kelso and the Grade 1 Foustardave.
“I think as hard as he’s run the last two times, if you start wheeling him back too quick, you’re asking to be disappointed, you know,” Mott said.
Casa Creed won the Fourstardave for a second consecutive year. Remarkably, he ran the same exact time (1:34.20 for the mile) both years. In 2022, that resulted in a 104 Beyer Speed Figure. On Saturday, it resulted in a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.
Mott believes if Casa Creed delivers the same type of performance in the Breeders’ Cup that he put forth in his two stakes wins here, that makes him a contender in the Mile – at least among the North Americabased runners.
“When you get to the Breeders’ Cup it’s always a stacked group,” Mott said. “You get the Europeans, and those milers have to really be respected.”
Mott said he’s always liked Santa Anita’s turf course. He won the 2016 BC Mile at Santa Anita with Tourist.
“I always thought that was one of the better and more fair turf courses,” Mott said.
Trainer Todd Pletcher said Annapolis came out of his race in good order. Pletcher offered no excuse for Annapolis’s defeat.
“He got outrun,” Pletcher said. “Sometimes it happens.”
Pletcher was disappointed with Emmanuel’s fifth-place finish in the Fourstardave.
“He got a good trip, he just didn’t deliver,” Pletcher said.
Pletcher said a quick turnaround in the $2 million Mint Millions on Sept. 2 at Kentucky Downs is possible.
–David Grening
Hopeful next for Rhyme Schemes
Rhyme Schemes, clearly the most exciting 2-year-old on the East Coast at this point of the season, came out of his one-sided and explosive victory in Saturday’s Saratoga Special in good order, trainer Norm Casse reported Sunday morning, and will be pointed to the Grade 1 Hopeful here Sept. 4, closing day of the 2023 Saratoga meeting.
“He’s doing well, he ate up everything last night, and this morning it didn’t seem like he even ran yesterday,” Casse said after training hours on Sunday. “We like that.”
And well Casse should like everything he’s seen so far of Rhyme Schemes, who got bounced around a bit after the break before recovering to dominate the 6 1/2-furlong Saratoga Special in much the same manner he had in winning his maiden eight weeks ago at Ellis Park. He won both races by 9 1/2 lengths.
Rhyme Schemes, a son of Ghostzap
per, received a 94 Beyer Speed Figure for his maiden win, which was the highest for any 2-year-old in 2023 until it was surpassed Sunday by Prince of Monaco’s 103 in the Best Pal at Del Mar. Rhyme Schemes regressed to an 86 for his effort in the Saratoga Special although, as Casse was quick to point out, he was being geared down during the latter stages of the race and likely could have gone even faster had the need arisen. It did not, with the outcome never in doubt at any point in the final furlong.
“It’s hard to assign an accurate number to a horse who is being geared down like he was,” said Casse, who admitted he was a bit apprehensive going into the Special despite his star’s outstanding performance in his maiden victory.
“He showed early speed and drew off in his maiden win, but I was worried what effects it might have on the way he moved if he wound up chasing like he did yesterday,” Casse added. “In the end, it had none. And to be honest, I was kind of overwhelmed by his performance.” Casse said barring any unforeseen setbacks, the sevenfurlong Hopeful would be next for Rhyme Schemes with the pressure revved up a bit more and expectations even higher coming off his easy win in the Saratoga Special.
“The idea from the outset, after he broke his maiden, was to come here to run in the Special and Hopeful and nothing has changed our minds yet, although I don’t want to completely commit to it until I see him back on the track,” Casse said.
“If it plays out we don’t want to run in the Hopeful, I’ll probably wait for the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland. The way this horse behaves and trains, it suggests to me he’s going to be an even better two-turn horse, although obviously it’s one of those things we’re going to have to see how it plays out.
“Right now, I feel like wherever we show up next with him, the pressure is going to grow even more. It’s a huge opportunity for me and my team, but after his last two races, expectations are going to be very high.”
–Mike Welsch