Creative Cause downed Bodemeister to take the San Felipe Stakes
Creative Cause easily among the top California Derby contenders, after coming off the pace to edge past the slightly favourite Bob Baffer trained, Bodemeister, in the Grade 2, $300,000 San Felipe Stakes over Santa Anita Park’s fast dirt course on 10 March,
2012, over a distance of 1 1/16 miles.
Coupled with jockey, Joel Rosario, Creative Cause redeemed himself after finishing third to winner, Drill, in his seasonal debut, the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at about seven furlongs at Santa Anita Park.
The Mike Harrington trained 3-year-old sensation turned in a clinical performance against probably the deepest 3-year-old field of the season thus far. On a fast track, Creative Cause went for an early move, going a little wide round the bend along with,
Midnight Transfer.
Heinz Steinmann owned colt, had the fast developing Bob Baffert’s trainee to contend with, as Midnight Transfer advanced smartly for Victor Espinoza to challenge Bodemeister.
However, Bodemeister was finally caught, when Joel Rosario had Creative Cause in a perfect position on the outside for the kill, as Creative Cause responded and defeated Bodemeister by three quarters of a length, and covered the distance in 1 minute and
41.84 seconds.
“He was a little late switching (leads), but Joel said he didn’t have any trouble," Harrington said. "I don’t know exactly what the story was. Once he switched, he took off.”
The jockey had the son of Giant’s Causeway, out of mare Dream of Summer by Siberian Summer, in perfect position throughout the race, and to begin with had him perfectly poised behind the leaders stalking hot pace.
Creative Cause will be starting in the Grade 1 $750,000 Santa Anita Derby in his next start, on 7 April, 2012, at Santa Anita.
“I said all along it’s a progression and the only thing I hope is he doesn’t peak in the Santa Anita Derby instead of the Kentucky Derby," Harrington said. "That’s my job to kind of keep that from happening. I felt he would run big off the San Vicente. A
lot of people thought the San Vicente was a bad race. I was ecstatic with it."
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