2012 Preakness Contenders: Creative Cause

Horse: Creative Cause
Trainer: Mike Harrington
Pedigree: By Giant’s Causeway out of a Siberian Summer mare (Dream of Summer)
Career Record: 9-4-2-2
Career Earnings: $929,000
Notable Races: G1-Kentucky Derby (5^th); G1-Santa Anita Derby (2^nd); G2-San Felipe (1^st); G2-San Vicente (3^rd); G1-Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (3^rd); G1-Norfolk (1^st); G1-Del Mar Futurity (3^rd); G2-Best Pal (1^st)

Can He Win The Preakness?

While he finished a disappointing 5^th in the Derby, Creative Cause ran a pretty solid race from start to finish and might have been able to get into the top three if he had been able to negotiate a cleaner trip. Unfortunately for Creative Cause, troubled trips in the Derby are generally the rule, not the exception.

Churchill Downs utilizes the Trakus system to record race results, providing handicappers with much better data to use to interpret how a race unfolds. One of the key features of Trakus is the ability to measure the distance a horse travels during a race, allowing to precisely calculate how much ground was lost (or saved) from start to finish.

According to the Trakus data, in the Kentucky Derby Creative Cause traveled 6,709 feet from start to finish, which was 29 feet further than the winner, I’ll Have Another. Runner-up Bodemeister covered 6,639 feet, which was 70 fewer feet than Creative Cause, yet Creative Cause finished less than three lengths behind Bodemeister.

What’s all that Trakus data really mean? Simply that Creative Cause covered more ground than any other colt in the field and was still able to finish in the top 5. If he gets a clean trip in the Preakness, Creative Cause could have an excellent chance for the victory.