NEWS: RACING

King Kreesa holds off closers inside and outside for a gutty West Point win

Friday, August 26th, 2016
NYRA/Adam Coglianese

NYRA/Adam Coglianese

By Bill Heller

You can’t teach a horse courage or class. It’s either in their DNA or not. Gerald and Susan Kresa’s seven-year-old King Kreesa is loaded with both and he demonstrated that again on Saratoga Showcase Day Friday. After breaking awkwardly, he quickly made the lead under Jose Ortiz, then held off challengers on his inside and outside to win the 37th running of the mile-and-a-sixteenth $150,000 West Point on grass by a nose over Kharafa and Joe Bravo on his inside. On his outside, Offering Plan and Irad Ortiz Jr. was just a neck behind Kharafa in third. And the beautiful gray Tapitation and Joel Rosario were just another neck back in fourth.

It was an epic renewal of the West Point.

Bettors saw the West Point as an even race and both Offering Plan on the rail and Tapitation from the three post went off at 2-1. In between them from the two post was King Kreesa at 3-1. Immediately outside of Tapitation, Kharafa was 4-1 in the field of seven.

Horse Partners bred King Kreesa, a son of King Cugat out of Storm’s Advance by Storm Creek who is trained by David Donk. King Kreesa had made his three previous starts in open company, finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Poker, winning the $144,000 Forbidden Apple Stakes by a nose and then finishing a front-running fourth in the Grade 1 Fourstar Dave just six days earlier.

Maybe that’s why he broke a bit awkwardly. Regardless, Jose Ortiz handled it perfectly, allowing King Kreesa to get his balance before streaking for the early lead as he usually does.

“He didn’t break good but was fast enough to get the lead anyway,” Jose Ortiz said.

King Kreesa took a narrow lead on 13-1 Brother O’Connell, who also broke well from the outside post in the field of seven under Javier Castellano. With Exultation, who was 20-1 under Manny Franco, got away third and Tapitation was on his outside in fourth. Offering Plan was close, too.

King Kreesa led Brother O’Connell by a head after an opening quarter in :24.61 and by three-quarters of a length after a half-mile in :49.67 and three-quarters in 1:14.00. Then Offering Plan gained quickly on the outside and Kharafa charged up on King Kreesa’s inside.

Both Kharafa and Offering Plan had dead aim on the front-runner, but King Kreesa dug in and held them both off to win in 1:37.18. “We set slow fractions and that was the difference,” Jose Ortiz said. “He could feel the other horse (Kharafa) coming to him, and when he did, he gave me another gear. He always tries heard. He’s got a huge heart and that made the difference today.” [VIDEO]

Donk may be King Kreesa’s biggest fan. “Listen, this is a really good horse,” he said. “I’m just lucky to have him. It’s special.”

King Kreesa’s victory was his 11th in 33 starts with seven seconds, four thirds and earnings of more than $1,370,000.

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