NYRA/Elsa Lorieul
By Sarah Mace
Gerald and Susan Kresa’s lightly-raced sophomore filly Kreesie became a stakes winner in her sixth career start on Sunday at Belmont Park, when she came from well off the pace to win the 12th running of the $100,000 Cupecoy’s Joy, the first of two co-featured divisions of the New York Stallion Stakes series for eligible New York-sired horses. Kreesie is sired by former New York stallion Cosmonaut.
Kreesie, unlike several in the Cupecoy’s Joy field who were trying the green for the first time, was grass-meant from the start for trainer David Donk. Starting three times at two, including one rained-off contest, she missed breaking her maiden by just a nose in her 2017 finale going six furlongs at Aqueduct.
In her first start back this year at Belmont on April 27, the grey filly got the job done at the same 7-furlong trip as the Cupecoy’s Joy. She returned to face winners for the first time a month later (May 26) to finish a good third in an 11-horse state-bred allowance field after closing from well back.
Kreesie faced another robust field Sunday – 11 fillies strong – and was drawn far outside (post 10). For the first half mile she watched most of the action from behind as she settled in tenth in the three path under a patient Jose Ortiz. Longshot Baby Boss carved out rapid early splits of 22.20 and 44.74 while pressed along by odds-on favorite Mentality.
Angling out five wide at the head of the stretch, then maneuvering out another couple of paths to get into the clear, Kreesie was set down for the drive.
Kicking into another gear and charging down the middle of the course, Kreesie passed the bulk of the field by midstretch, overhauled new leader Mentality along with Baby Boss in the final sixteenth and cruised past the finish line a half-length to the good in a final time of 1:21.09.
Goodbye Brockley, who closed from midpack in company with Kreesie, got up for second, a length ahead of Mentality, who had to settle for third. First time turfer Wegetsdamunnys closed to complete the superfecta. [VIDEO REPLAY]
“She ran well. I think the pace helped her a lot,” said Jose Ortiz. “They ran pretty fast for the first half of a mile. She was relaxed and comfortable. I was able to get a really nice trip. When I got to the three-sixteenths, I followed the 10-horse [Goodbye Brockley]. Everything came up perfect. Luckily, they came back to me.”
Ortiz is bullish on the filly’s future. “She’s improving. Some horses need some races to get it together. I think she’s put it together now and I think she’ll keep improving.”
Donk is enthused about Kreesie’s running style and maturing process. “You love to find those grass horses with a good turn of foot and she’s developing in making a great transition from 2-to-3 [years old]. I thought this was a very good race from her and she’s coming out of a spot in which she ran well last time out.”
Continued Donk, “Today, we were just hoping there was enough pace in the race. We wanted her to sit back. That’s kind of how she likes to run, and we like to teach them that. On the grass regardless of the level, you want them to have that nice turn-of-foot, and it’s fun when you get one that does.”
Donk believes that seven furlongs and one-turn races suit Kreesie best but will discuss the possibility of taking a shot in the one-mile NYSS Statue of Liberty at Saratoga on August 9 with the filly’s owners.
Bred by Frank Lodato and foaled at Carlland Stables in Avon, Kreesie is out of Florida-bred Three Emeralds, a six-figure earner by Three Wonders. As a producer, Three Wonders is a perfect three-for-three with winning progeny. Kreesie, he last report foal, is her first to achieve black type status and with two wins a second and a third has earned $120,700.
