By Bloodhorse.com
CYPRESS, Calif. (Apr. 22, 2016) — First-time starter Milton Freewater got up in the final stride in the first race at Los Alamitos Race Course April 22 to become the first winner for grade I winner and classic-placed Creative Cause.
A 7-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway out of grade I winner and millionaire California-bred Dream of Summer, by Siberian Summer, Creative Cause stands for a 2016 fee of $15,000 at Airdrie Stud near Midway, Ky. There are 86 2-year-olds in his first crop. Creative Cause is a full brother to Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) winner Destin, a hopeful for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
Creative Cause posted a 4-2-3 career line from 10 starts and earned $1,039,000. At age 2, he captured the 2011 Norfolk Stakes (gr. I) and finished second the Del Mar Futurity (gr. I) and third in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I). At age 3, he took the 2012 San Felipe Stakes (gr. II) and finished second in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) and third Preakness Stakes (gr. I) in his final start.
The overwhelming favorite in his debut, Milton Freewater went four wide into the stretch, engaged pacesetter Alpenhorn with a sixteenth of a mile to run, and thrust out his nose at the wire to win the 4 1/2-furlong race for 2-year-old California-bred or -sired maidens. He is trained by owner Patricia Harrington, who bred him in California with husband Mike Harrington. The gray or roan colt is out of the stakes-place Swiss Yodeler mare Lovehi.
Mike Harrington sent out gallant runner-up Alpenhorn, the first starter for champion Royal Delta’s full brother Empire Way , a California stallion.