King of Speed very sharp in Zuma Beach S. score

Jimmy Creed’s 2-year-old colt King of Speed showed once again he is a horse with a big future with his victory in the $100,000 Zuma Beach S. at Santa Anita park on Oct. 8, coming from well off the pace with a strong stretch rally to win the one-mile turf affair by 1 1/4-lengths.

The big chestnut took the Del Mar Turf Juvenile last month to break his maiden, and has now earned $145,980 after Monday’s win.

King of Speed is one of Jimmy Creed’s five stakes winners who have accounted for seven stakes wins this year. His progeny have banked more than $2.7 million in 2018, placing him third on the Second-Crop Sires list.

Ridden in the Zuma Beach by Gary Stevens, King of Speed was void of speed from the gate, with Stevens content to sit about 10 lengths from the front after the half-mile, which went in :45.35 seconds. He began to cut into the margin on the final bend, split horses coming into the stretch, then dove to the inside and rolled by Much Better to win convincingly in 1:34.35.

“He’s a big 2-year-old, no question,” said Stevens. “He’s grown into a man from a boy in his last two races. Now that he’s gone two turns a few times and he’s gotten the taste of settling and passing horses, he’s really moved forward. In his last two races, he’s improved so much. I worked him after his last race and I told Jeff (trainer Jeff Bonde), ‘He’s five lengths better than he was when he won that [last] stake.’”

Owned by Del Secco DCS, Inc., King of Speed was bred by Newaukum Racing Stables. His dam, a former $750,000 breeding stock purchase from the extended female family of champion Countess Diana (Deerhound), sold for $10,000 carrying King of Speed at the 2015 Keeneland November sale.