Creative Cause sires first winner from first starter

Freshman sire Creative Cause sired his first winner when his first starter, Milton Freewater, won the first race at Los Alamitos on Friday by a nose over first-time starter Alpenhorn. It was race for California-bred 2-year-olds going 4 1/2 furlongs and a field of just four started. Alpenhorn, a filly, was the first starter for freshman sire Empire Way.

Trained and owned by Patricia Harrington, Milton Freewater is out of the Swiss Yodeler mare Lovehi. He rallied from third and wide on the turn to get up in the last few strides to win. The 1-2 favorite, he completed the distance in :51.37.

The gray or roan colt was bred by Patricia Harrington and Mike Harrington. Mike Harrington trained both Creative Cause and Empire Way, as well as Swiss Yodeler. Mike Harrington trained Alpenhorn.

Creative Cause, by Giant’s Causeway out of Dream of Summer, by Siberian Summer, stands at Airdrie Stud for a fee of $15,000. He has 86 2-year-olds in his first crop.

On the track, Creative Cause was a consistent runner and one of the best of his crop. He was off the board just once in 10 starts. At 2, he won the Grade 2 Best Pal at Del Mar and two starts later the Grade 1 Norfolk at Santa Anita. He followed that win with a third-place effort to Hansen and Union Rags in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs.

At 3, Creative Cause won the Grade 2 San Felipe and was second by a nose to I’ll Have Another in the Santa Anita Derby. In the Kentucky Derby, he was fifth, beaten three lengths by I’ll Have Another, before ending his career with a third-place finish in the Preakness.

Creative Cause won 4 of 10 starts and earned $1,039,000.

He’s a full brother to 2016 Tampa Bay Derby winner and Kentucky Derby hopeful Destin.