Creative Force goes last to first in Edgar Futurity

STICKNEY, Ill. - Chris Block doesn't focus on 2-year-old races, but Creative Force left him no choice. Bred and owned by Block's family, which races as Team Block, Creative Force didn't even make his career debut until Nov. 3, but Saturday at Hawthorne he impressively won the $105,950 Jim Edgar Illinois Futurity.

"He was kind of slow to come around," Block said. "My dad kept asking me, 'When are you going to stop on him?' But he really started training well this fall."

Creative Force ($6.60) broke last in a 10-horse field, and dropped into last place on the first turn of the 1 1/16-mile Futurity. But he pulled jockey Eddie Perez into contention on the backstretch, made a six-wide move around the far turn, and still had a powerful run left in the tank when he switched leads at the eighth pole. The favored Last Gran Standing finished second, with longshot Princeton Hills third. Creative Force paid $6.60 and was timed in 1:46.75 over a fast track.

Last Gran Standing could not hold off the winner, suffering his first loss in four races despite saving ground before moving athletically through a hole at the top of the stretch.

"He finished up pretty good," said Chris Emigh, Last Gran Standing's rider.

Not good enough. Creative Force is by Red Ransom and bred for turf. He is tall and strong, unusually so for a 2-year-old, and may be a special talent. Creative Force had won his maiden in his most recent start, using the same looping turn move that propelled him to victory Saturday. Block said the plan was to keep Creative Force closer to the pace this time, but that plan quickly went out the window.

Jockey Eddie Perez said "the racetrack really stung him, and it knocked him back on the first turn," Block said. But Creative Force put himself into the race, and won despite losing precious ground on a racetrack especially rewarding of inside trips.