NEWS: RACING

King Kreesa comes up aces to win second Poker

Saturday, June 13th, 2015
NYRA/Joe Labozzetta

NYRA/Joe Labozzetta

by Sarah Mace

Gerald and Susan Kresa’s King Kreesa (King Cugat) earned a ticket to the Grade 3, $300,000 Poker Stakes winner’s circle for the second time in his career at Belmont Park on Saturday afternoon after a frontrunning victory. The 6-year-old gelding won the race for older turf runners, run at one mile on the Widener turf course, for the first time in 2013.

Making his third start of the season, King Kreesa was last seen finishing third to perennial New York-bred turf rivals Lubash and Kharafa in the Kingston Stakes on Big Apple Showcase Day (May 25) following an unplaced start in the open Elusive Quality on April 29. In the competitive Poker line-up King Kreesa was slighted by bettors, going off at odds of 17-1.

Breaking well from post three under jockey Jose Ortiz, King Kreesa quickly established himself on the lead, and in the absence of any direct challenge for the top spot, even from the speedy Heart to Heart in second, increased his advantage to a comfortable two-length margin during the run along the back stretch.

NYRA/Adam Coglianese

NYRA/Adam Coglianese

Clocking early fractions of 23.69 for the first quarter mile and 47.76 for the half, King Kreesa and Ortiz continued on an uncontested lead through the far turn and into the stretch. Even though the closers began to rev up in the final furlong, King Kreesa never had an anxious moment, crossing the finish line three-quarters of a length in front of a fast-closing Vyjack, who was making his turf debut and first start for trainer Bill Mott. Chilean sensation and 9-5 favorite Il Campione finished well to capture third. After three-quarters of a mile in 1:10.97, the final time for the mile over the firm Widener sod was 1:33.48. [VIDEO]

King Kreesa was piloted on Saturday not by his regular rider Irad Ortiz, Jr., who took the mount on Il Campione, but by his brother Jose, aboard the gelding for the first time. Jose said, “I was surprised to get the lead early, the four horse [Heart to Heart] looked like a fast horse on paper, his last race he went a half in :44 but you know, different track, different strategy. I think things set up well for me.”

Continued Ortiz, “I saw that Irad rode him well previously and looking at it, I just tried to ride him like he rode him. I think a mile is his best distance, maybe he could stretch out a little bit, but a mile is perfect.”

King Kreesa’s $180,000 winner’s share of the $300,000 purse pushes his earnings very close to the $1 million mark (to $985,370). A winner of five other stakes in addition to his pair of Poker victories, King Kreesa began his career in the barn of Jeremiah Englehart, for whom he won the Grade 3 Poker the first time, the open London Company, the Kingston and Mohawk Stakes for New York-breds and the Spectacular Bid division of the New York Stallion Stakes series.

Following an unplaced start in the in the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Mile on December 8, 2013 at Sha Tin, King Kreesa moved the barn of trainer David Donk, for whom he won his first start off the bench, the West Point for New York-breds in Saratoga. King Kreesa’s resume, which sports an impressive eight wins from 24 starts, also includes eight stakes placings. In 2013 King Kreesa was voted champion New York-bred turf male and champion New York-bred older male.

Winning owner/breeder Gerald Kresa said after this Poker win, “He did great. They gave him the lead. Once he can relax, he has all kinds of energy at the end and he can open up on them. He held everyone off with no problem. We’re very pleased with him.”

Kresa also indicated where his star gelding might turn up next. “We could look at the Forbidden Apple maybe and if he comes out of that one good, we might consider the Fourstardave after that.”

Bred the Kresas under the banner of Horse Partners, King Kreesa was foaled at Carlland Stables in Avon. He is the most successful of four winners out of Storm’s Advance, a Florida-bred daughter of Storm Creek who was a multiple winner and stakes-placed on turf ($94,652). Another foal, four-year-old Lady Kreesa, by Stonesider, is a multiple winner and has placed in a division of the New York Stallion Stakes series.

Storm’s Advance currently has a 2-year-old colt by Malibu Moonshine named Moonsurge.

King Kreesa’s sire King Cugat, a multiple Grade 2-winner and millionaire by Kingmambo, stood in New York in 2008 and 2009 under the management of Questroyal Stud.

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