Belmont Stakes winner Creator retired, sold to Japan

Creator, winner of the 2016 Belmont Stakes, has been sold to the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders’ Association, which intends to retire the colt from racing and stand him at Shizunai Stallion Station in Hokkaido, Japan, for the 2017 breeding season.

The 3-year-old son of Tapit finishes his career with 3 wins in 12 starts for earnings of $1,610,320. He was trained by Steve Asmussen.

In addition to his Belmont victory, Creator won the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby and finished third in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes. The colt competed in this year’s Kentucky Derby and made his final start in the Travers Stakes, where he finished seventh.

Creator was previously owned by WinStar Farm and celebrity chef Bobby Flay. Flay bought into the horse just days before his Belmont victory.

“The JBBA approached us with a strong desire to stand a top Grade 1-winning son of Tapit like Creator, and since we already have one on our stallion roster with Constitution, it was ultimately too good of an opportunity to pass up for everyone involved, including the horse,” WinStar Farm president and CEO Elliot Walden said. “Last year, we visited the JBBA, and I was impressed with their facilities and overall program. They’ve done such a great job with American horses like Empire Maker and Forty Niner, and we hope Creator can have a similar impact for Japan and its breeders.”

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Creator was bred in Kentucky by Mt. Brilliant Broodmares and is the first foal to race out of the three-time Peruvian champion Privately Held mare Morena. He is from the extended family of Peruvian Group 3 winners La Querella and La Consulta.

Creator was a $440,000 purchase out of the 2014 Keeneland September yearling sale.