Sets Stakes Record in Race Presented by Keeneland Select
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Mike McCarty’s Private Creed swept past favored No Nay Hudson (IRE) inside the sixteenth pole and went on to post a three-quarters of a length victory over a fast-closing Mo Stash in the fifth running of the $250,000 Indian Summer (L) Presented by Keeneland Select for 2-year-olds.
Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden Joel Rosario, Private Creed covered the 5 ½ furlongs on the firm turf course in a stakes-record 1:02.30.
With the victory, Private Creed earned a fees-paid berth to the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) to be run here Nov. 4.
Ghent led a tight pack through an opening quarter-mile in :21.68 as Rosario kept Private Creed in the clear while running in the second flight of horses. At the head of the stretch, Ghent started to retreat with No Nay Hudson taking over at the eighth pole.
By then Private Creed was rolling on the outside, overtaking No Nay Hudson passing the sixteenth pole and going on to the victory.
A Keeneland sales graduate, Private Creed is a Kentucky-bred son of Jimmy Creed out of the Sky Mesa mare South Andros. Now a two-time stakes winner, Private Creed owns a record of 4-3-0-1 and has earnings of $509,313 of which $145,313 came Sunday.
Private Creed returned $7.28, $4.02 and $2.44. Mo Stash, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, returned $7.30 and $3.64 and finished a length in front of No Nay Hudson, who paid $2.46 to show under John Velazquez.
It was another length back to Ghent, who was followed in order by Mounsieur Coco, Bourbon Therapy, Kbcya Later, Revere Note, Numero Seis and Castelmola.
Quotes from the $250,000 Indian Summer (L) Presented by Keeneland Select
Steve Asmussen (winning trainer of Private Creed): “He acts like he’d go farther, but with the success he’s having sprinting we’re very happy to keep doing this with him for now.”
On the key to success in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint: “With the addition of blinkers he’s two for two, so we definitely like that.”
Joel Rosario (winning rider): “It worked out perfect. He showed a lot of speed, (coming from) the post position on the outside. The whole time I was just the passenger. He did the job.”
Rafael Bejarano (rider of runner-up Mo Stash): “I had a beautiful position this time. We broke really nice. He was right behind with the speed. When I asked him to go, he started running. He should’ve won easily if he hadn’t started lugging in down the stretch. It’s the first time he’s done it. I tried to make it, but I never had a chance to fully ride in the end.”
John Velazquez (rider of third-place finisher No Nay Hudson-IRE): “He broke a little awkwardly and when he got up he wanted to run off. I tried to settle him the best I could. In the last sixteenth of a mile, he just came up a little short.”
Tyler Gaffalione (rider of fifth-place finisher Mounsieur Coco): “It was not the cleanest trip. My horse got squeezed out of the gate. I wanted to be a little more forward, but we played the hand we were dealt. He finished up good down the lane – just a little green with that being his first time behind horses.”
Keeneland Press Release
Photo by Coady
