Hollywood Park notes: Creative Cause won't start until Del Mar meet

Benoit & Associates

Creative Cause, with Rafael Bejarano riding, wins the Best Pal at Del Mar.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Creative Cause, third in the Preakness Stakes in his last start on May 19, is in the midst of a vacation likely to last until Del Mar later this summer, trainer Mike Harrington said.

“I’m still going easy with him,” he said. “I’ll give him a little R and R.”

Owned by Heinz Steinmann, Creative Cause won the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes against Bodemeister at Santa Anita in March and was later second, by a nose, to I’ll Have Another in the Santa Anita Derby.

Creative Cause was fifth in the Kentucky Derby.

In the days after the Preakness Stakes, Harrington said the $150,000 Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park on July 4 was a possibility, but he has backed away from that position. “He won’t run at Hollywood Park,” he said.

The stakes schedule for 3-year-olds at Del Mar emphasizes turf races, including the $150,000 La Jolla Handicap on Aug. 11 and the $300,000 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 2. Creative Cause is not eligible for the first turf stakes of that meeting for 3-year-olds, the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes on July 18, having earned more than $50,000 for winning the San Felipe.

“The turf is a possibility,” Harrington said. “He’s had a long campaign.”

Saturday, Harrington has starters in the $100,000 stakes for juveniles over 5 1/2 furlongs – Tilde in the Cinderella Stakes for fillies and Just Call Me Al in the Willard Proctor Stakes.

Just Call Me Al, by Redattore, won his debut on May 6 under jockey Rafael Bejarano. “The rider was certainly impressed by him,” Harrington said.

The Proctor is led by the maiden race winner Amarish, trained by Jeff Bonde.

Tilde, by Swiss Yodeler, won a maiden race over 4 1/2 furlongs in her career debut on May 20, leaving Harrington delighted with the way she rallied on the rail.

“She showed a lot of heart,” he said. “She came back on through a hole and won.”

The field will include the maiden race winners Awe Golly Molly, Awe’ Some Kitten, and Unusual Way.

Harrington has a prospect for later this summer with O Happy Gray, a filly who won her second start in a five-furlong maiden race last Saturday.

Flores getting diploma

Apprentice jockey Eswan Flores will miss Thursday’s program at Hollywood Park for an important personal day. He is graduating from high school.

Flores, 19, has taken correspondence courses in the last year as his riding commitments have increased. He finished his courses earlier this summer. The ceremony is Thursday afternoon.

“There are only two days you get to take off – your graduation day and the day you get married,” he said last weekend.