French Group I Winner Creator Dies at 29
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French group I winner Creator, a resident of Old Friends retirement farm in Georgetown, Ky., was euthanized Feb. 28 at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington due to complications from colic.
The 29-year-old son of Mill Reef, out of Chalon, by Habitat, had been a pensioner of Old Friends since 2004, when he was retired from stud duty in Japan and returned to the United States.
A homebred for Sheikh Mohammed, Creator won seven of 16 starts and earned $550,537. His record includes a pair of group I wins at Longchamp for trainer Andre Fabre: the 1990 Prix Ganay and Prix d'Isaphan.
Creator's final start came in his U.S. debut at Laurel Park when third in the 1990 Budweiser International Handicap (gr. IT), in which he suffered a career-ending injury.
Creator and Old Friends stablemate Sunshine Forever were the first stallions the organization returned from overseas for U.S. retirement.
At the time of his death, Creator was surrounded by Old Friends founder and president Michael Blowen and his wife, Diane White, and others who cared for him daily at the farm.
"Creator was not only a magnificent animal, he was one of the founding fathers of Old Friends," Blowen said. "Every time we lose one of the horses, it's as if they take a little part of our lives with them and yesterday, Creator took an enormous chunk with him."