Nevele R Stud acquired the breeding rights in 2017 to shuttle then seven year old Canadian millionaire trotter Creatine to NZ shores. This brought a proven North American pedigree backed by an international race career being a multiple stakes winner in both North America and Europe to our shores. On arrival the blue blooded American trotter was the fastest and richest trotter to ever stand at stud in Australasia.
Creatine was bred and raised by Diamond Creek Farm LLC, Pennsylvania where he stood his first season at stud (2017) having been retained by his breeders Adam and Chris Bowden when injury prevented him being entered for the 2011 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.
Creatine (DOB 27 May 2010, dark brown horse Andover Hall/Berry Nice Muscles), T1:51.2US, $2,102,022. NB: times quoted are in fifths of second).
Bred on a cross of Andover Hall over a Muscles Yankee mare, Creatine is one of the leading crosses for Andover Hall with eleven of 148 classic offspring tracing to a Muscles Yankee mare (Lindy Lane fifteen, Donerail fourteen, Valley Victory twelve, Yankee Glide eleven). They include multiple European Gp1 stallion Brad De Veluwe (FIN), T1:09.7EU and Spider Blue Chip, T1:51.3US, $1,243,897, world record 3yo on 5/8m track T1:52.2, Hambletonian heat, Colonial and Breeders Crown. All eleven Andover Hall/Muscles Yankee classic offspring are group winners, three from the family of Medio (U1).
Andover Hall was trained throughout his career by Creative’s initial trainer Bob Stewart. From broodmare gem Armour Angus, Andover Hall counts siring full brothers Angus Hall and Conway Hall (all trained by Bob Stewart) among his siblings together with full sister Emilie Cas El, dam of Hambletonian winner Trixton. Andover Hall possess four crosses to Stars Pride. Non-winning stakes placed dam Berry Nice Muscles is line bred 2×3 to Valley Victory being by Muscles Yankee from a Donerail mare with five crosses to Speedy Crown in her first six generations.
This is the family of Ab (U14) whose trotters include Hambletonian winners Harlan Dean and Alf Palema, multiple Gp1 winning mare/broodmare CR Kay Suzie, sire BF Coaltown and Australasian champion I Can Doosit (Always B Miki belongs to this family).
Creatine commenced racing at two (2012), in a light season he won three of his seven starts at the Red Mile, Lexington including the Wallnut Hall Cup – Bluegrass (Gp3, T1:57.1m) driven by Mike Lachance. Dave Magee and Trace Tetrick handled him in his other wins and he recorded a best placed time of T1:55.2 in the International Stallion Stakes.
An outstanding three year old season in 2013 saw Creatine win eight and runner up in five of seventeen starts for stakes just over $800k, Mike Lachance his driver throughout. Victories were recorded at Meadowlands, twice including Hambletonain heat (T1:52.4m, Gp2) and C1 event in T1:52.2m; Harrahs, Chester, Pennsylvania Sires Stake elimination (T1:54.4f); longshot winner of one of three legs of Triple Crown in Gp 1 $368,900 Kentucky Futurity at The Red Mile (T1:53.4m, second in heat) and Transylvania Bluegrass (T1:52.3m, Gp3); Pocono Downs, Colonial Invitational Trot in seasons best mile of T1:52.2f; Meadows, Pennsylvania Sires Stake consolation (T1:53.2f); Hoosier Park, Carl Erskine (T1:54.3, 7/8m, Gp2). Creatine placed second to Spider Blue Chip (Andover Hall/Muscles Yankee cross) in Reynolds Memorial at Meadowlands and Breeders Crown at Pocono Downs (3rd elimination), and to Lindys True Grit in American National at Balmoral Park. Creatine was one of the leading three year old trotters of 2013 season in North America where Royalty For Life (Hambletonian, Canadian Trotting Classic, Stanley Dancer) was three year old Trotting colt/gelding of year.
In open class trotting ranks at four (2014), Creatine won three of sixteen starts at Scioto Downs (T1:52.4f); American National at Balmoral Park (track record T1:51.3m, Gp2) driven on both occasions by Dan Noble; upset victory in Gp1 $173,000 Allerage Farms Open Trot at Red Mile over world record holder Sebastian K (T1:49.0), for driver Trace Tetrick in his best ever mile time of T1:51.2m. Creatine placed second in an elimination of Maple Leaf Trot at Mohawk, Centaur Trotting Classic at Hoosier Park and Sam Chip Noble III Memorial at Scioto Downs. Ran third in Charlie Hill Memorial at Scioto Downs; third to Market Share in Dayton Trotting Derby; third to Commander Crowe at Meadowlands in Breeders Crown Open (fastest placed time of T1:51.1) and to Intimidate in the TVG FFA Championship (T1:51.3pl, beaten division included Bees A Magician, Sebastian K). Creatine was fourth richest older trotter behind Sebastian K, Intimidate and Market Share.
Creatine was trained by Bob Stewart for three seasons and in February 2015 he joined in the trotter’s ownership as part of Big C Racing, a partnership consisting of Diamond Creek principal Adam Bowden, Bob Stewart and his wife Lynda, and Diamond Creek Racing. At this time Creatine was sent to Swedish trainer Robert Bergh at Bergsåker for a European campaign. Having his first European start on 9 May in the Berth Johansson Memorial at Umåkers trotting track (Möjligheternas Arena), in total he had four starts from Bergh’s stables with a third place in Jamtlands Stora Pris (2140m) at Ostersund his best finish.
A little disappointing in his first four Swedish starts for Robert Bergh, Creatine moved to trainer Jimmy Takter’s European stables at the end of June, placed in the stable of brother Johnny Takter. Creatine had a further six starts in Europe for Johnny Takter who drove him to Gp1’s victories in Finland’s St Michel – Ajo FFA Trot over 1 mile at Mikkeli (T1:10.3fEU/T1:53.1) and Sweden’s Hugo Abergs Memorial over a mile at Jagersro (T1:09.7fEU/T1:52.2). He placed second to Mosaique Face (Oasis Bi third) in the prestigious European Trotting Masters (2300m) at Belgium’s Wallonie Hippodrome Mons track (1163m) and to Rod Stewart in Anders Jahres Pokallöp (2100m) at Norway’s Bjerke track in Olso (1000m).
Creatine returned to North America after racing on ten occasions in Europe to represent the United States in the star studded million dollar Yonkers International Trot (1¼m, T2:26.0). On the half mile Yonkers raceway he finished a strong third behind Papagayo E and Timoko (two time Elitloppet winner), with two-time Breeders Crown champion and 2013 Horse of the Year Bee A Magician sixth.
In what proved to be Creatine’s final race start, on 24 October 2015 he won the $531,250 Gp1 Breeders’ Crown Open (T1:52.4) for older trotters at Woodbine Raceway (7/8m), Toronto, Canada beating home Resolve by two lengths, Gural Hanover, Bee A Magician and Intimdate/Flanagan Memory fifth equal. This was his third 5yo Gp1 victory for trainer Jimmy Takter and driving brother Johnny. It was also Creatine’s third Breeders Crown start having finished second at three and third at four in the 2014 Open Trot. For the third year running Creatine won on Kentucky Futurity Day – won Futurity at three, Allerage Farms Open Trot at four and Breeders Crown at five, all run on same day as Kentucky Futurity at Lexington.
It was planned to retire Creatine after the Breeders Crown, however as a 6yo Creatine qualified at the Meadowlands on Saturday 16 April 2016, finishing second to Bee A Magician, with his mile in 1:53.4/27 second last quarter. He was scratched from what would have been his opening six year old start at the Meadowlands due to a suspensory injury which resulted in his retirement from racing on 22 April 2016.
Throughout his career Creatine had a number of different drivers. Mike Lachance had most drives (27) for nine of his seventeen victories; Johnny Takter (8 drives/3 wins), Trace Tetrick (4/2), Dan Noble (4/2), /Robert Bergh (4/0), Frode Fladen (2/0), Ron Pierce (2/0) and Dave Magee (1/1) = 52 starts/17 victories.
Race Record for Creatine :
Creatine won all seventeen of his races at the mile distance, with best times on mile track T1:51.2, five eighths T1:52.2 and seven eighths T1:52.4. While not a winner in his eight journeys beyond a mile, he was placed second over 2100/2300m and third over 1¼m/2140m.
This was a serious racehorse, competitive in the upper echelons both in North America and Europe. Creatine stood his first season (2017/18) for a service fee of $4,500 plus GST which was reduced slightly to $4,000 for his second season (2018/19) at stud (Nevele R Stud discounts applied), service fees which compared favourably with his advertised North American stud fee of US$6,000 (reduced to US$4,000 in 2019). Several of his first Southern Hemisphere offspring numbering thirty one registered foals are likely to appear for purchase at NZ Bloodstock’s Standardbred Yearling Sales at Karaka and Christchurch in February 2020.
Peter Craig
12 June 2019
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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