Creative Cause to Skip Belmont Stakes

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Creative Cause  , who finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and third in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), will not run in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I), said trainer Mike Harrington May 24.

“He’s fine, we just elected to give him a little rest,” Harrington said. “He’s had a tough campaign and he deserves a break. He’s been running the same Beyers every time and I'll Have Another   keeps getting better and better, so it doesn’t make sense to keep trying him. I got him to run a big number early in the year, but he just hasn’t improved off it. We’ve been contemplating running him on the grass, so that gives us more options.”

Creative Cause, owned by Heinz Steinmann, defeated I’ll Have Another in last year’s Best Pal Stakes (gr. II) and was beaten a nose by the eventual Derby and Preakness winner in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I).

In the Kentucky Derby, Creative Cause raced very wide almost the entire way, yet still was beaten only three lengths. He chased Bodemeister   in the Preakness, but came up empty in the final quarter mile, finishing a well-beaten third.

Earlier this year, the son of Giant's Causeway   finished third in the seven-furlong San Vicente Stakes (gr. II) and defeated Bodemeister in the San Felipe Stakes (gr. II).