Creative Minister seeks stakes breakthrough in $135K Curlin
At 0h02, on July 27, 2022 • By SARATOGA
Fern Circle Stables, Back Racing, and Magdalena Racing’s graded-stakes placed Creative Minister competed in two-thirds of the Triple Crown, but will step into restricted company in Friday’s 13th renewal of the $135,000 Curlin, a nine-furlong test for sophomores at Saratoga Race Course.
The Curlin, which is restricted to horses that have not won a graded event at one mile or over this year, is often used as a springboard to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers on August 27. V. E. Day successfully completed the Curlin-Travers double in 2014.
Trained by Kenny McPeek, Creative Minister garnered a field-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure for his third-place Grade 1 Preakness finish in May before running fifth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets last out on June 11.
McPeek said the Preakness effort was an indicator of Creative Minister’s class.
“It was an excellent race. He stepped up to a high level real quick there and he’s going to need to run back to that,” McPeek said. “I think this will be a good spot. It should be a race that sets him up good for a Travers run. He didn’t handle the racetrack at Belmont. He struggled with the surface over there for some reason and unfortunately that didn’t work out.”
The Creative Cause grey graduated at second asking in April over a sloppy and sealed Keeneland main track ahead of a sharp optional-claiming win on the Kentucky Derby undercard on May 7 at Churchill Downs.
McPeek also entered Joseph B. Murphy’s Wolfe County, by Medaglia d’Oro, who broke through in his eighth start, besting older company in a maiden special weight on June 24 traveling 1 3/16-miles at Churchill Downs.
Creative Minister has breezed four times over the Oklahoma training track, including a five-eighths bullet in 1:00.66 Saturday in company with Wolfe County.
