Casa Creed Looks to Defend His Title in Jaipur Stakes

LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable's Casa Creed  returns to defend his title against a loaded field of 13 contenders in the $400,000 Jaipur Stakes (G1T), a six-furlong test for 3-year-olds and older on the Widener Turf June 11 at Belmont Park.

The Jaipur, which offers a "Win and You're In" berth to the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) in November at Keeneland, is scheduled as Race 8 on the Belmont Stakes (G1) undercard.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 6-year-old son of Jimmy Creed   was the 10-1 upset winner of the Jaipur last year, closing from eighth under Junior Alvarado to post a two-length score over stablemate Chewing Gum . 

Casa Creed followed with a third-place effort in the one-mile Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) in August at Saratoga Race Course and a close fifth in the six-furlong FanDuel Turf Sprint Stakes (G3T) at Kentucky Downs. He completed his 2021 season with an eighth-place finish in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T) in November at Del Mar.

Casa Creed made his first two starts this season in the Middle East, finishing a close second to recent Yasuda Kinen (G1)-winner Songline in the STC 1351 Turf Sprint Cup (G3) in February at King Abdulaziz racetrack in Saudi Arabia and a close fifth in the Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored By Azizi Developments (G1) in March on the Dubai World Cup undercard at Meydan.

"He went to Saudi and Dubai and ran well there in international races. He finished well," Mott said. 

Casa Creed blitzed a half-mile in :47.88 June 5 over the Belmont dirt training track in company with grade 1-winner Obligatory , who is entered in Friday's Bed o' Roses (G2) at Belmont.

"He worked good," said Mott, who also won the Jaipur with Harp Islet in 1989, Elusive Quality in 1998, and Around the Cape in 2006. "He went with Obligatory and they worked well. They went right together."

Luis Saez has the call from post 4.

Trainer Wesley Ward, who won the 2014 Jaipur with Undrafted , will saddle Lael Stables' Arrest Me Red , who breaks from post 5 with Irad Ortiz, Jr. The 4-year-old Pioneerof the Nile colt posted a 1 3/4-length score in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Presented by Sysco (G2T) May 6 at Churchill Downs. 

Larry Johnson's True Valour , who has raced at distances ranging from 5 1/2-furlongs to 1 1/8-miles, seems to have found his niche in turf sprints for trainer Graham Motion. Feargal Lynch has the return ride from the 3 post.

"It was my racing manager, Jane Buchanan, who said to me, 'we keep trying to stretch this horse out, I wonder if he just wants to sprint,'" recalled Motion. "And she was absolutely right. That win turned our program around with him."

The bay horse returned to action in April at Laurel Park, wiring the 5 1/2-furlong King T. Leatherbury Stakes on firm footing. With Feargal Lynch up, True Valour set splits of 21.89 and 44.35 en route to a swift score in 1:02.10.

La Marca Stable's Scuttlebuzz , breaking from post 8 under Javier Castellano, went from claim-to-fame last out with a one-length score in the Elusive Quality Stakes April 30 at Belmont while making his stakes debut for trainer Rudy Rodriguez.

Completing the field is Filo Di Arianna , Gear Jockey , Gregorian Chant , Change of Control , Chasing Artie , Smokin' Jay , Whatmakessammyrun , Omaha City , and Greyes Creek .