Creative Credit leads them all the way in Clarksville Stakes

On Tuesday, May 25, 2021, Creative Credit raced for a $7,500 claiming tag at Belterra Park. On Wednesday, July 11, 2022, at Horseshoe Indianapolis, she outsprinted the brilliantly fast Elle Z for the lead and won the $102,000 Clarksville Stakes by three-quarters of a length over odds-on Elle Z.

The same distance separated second and third as pace-stalking Cashable got third in a race dominated, despite a fast pace, by front-runners. Running over a firm, quicksilver course, Creative Credit set splits of 21.54 seconds and 43.84 on the way to a final time of 55.50 for five furlongs. She paid $12.80 to win coming off a sharp June 29 course-and-distance allowance-race win.

“I was told to go with [Elle Z] and to not let her go off on her own," winning jockey Thomas Pompell said. "She's a really fast horse; there's not much instruction I need to ride her. She always breaks really well, and she did today, and she got me going and set me up so we could win."

The man giving Pompell pre-race instructions was Richard Finucane, who bred, owns, and trains Creative Credit. Finucane also trained Creative Credit’s dam, Credit Crunch, who earned more than $220,000 during her career. Creative Credit, by Creative Cause, is her only foal to race.

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Thirty-five minutes later, the $102,650 William Garrett produced another first-time stakes winner, Thanks Mr. Eidson, who got a great trip under Geovani Franco and was up by three-quarters of a length over pacesetting Charcoal. Eighth in the early stages, Thanks Mr. Eidson always appeared to be full of run, and he hit every hole Franco found with confidence, looming in upper stretch and taking care of business over a course carrying speed. Charcoal held second by a half-length over Oceanic. The winner was timed in 55.43 for five furlongs on grass and paid $5.80 as the favorite.

A 5-year-old gelding by More Than Ready out of Nest Egg, by Eskendereya, Thanks Mr. Eidson made his first 20 starts in Southern California for trainer Jeff Bonde before joining the Churchill-based barn of trainer Brian Lynch earlier this year. Thanks Mr. Eidson, owned by Del Secco DCS Racing, had won just twice in 22 starts before capturing a Churchill Downs turf-sprint allowance race May 30, and on Wednesday he made it two in a row.