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In November 2014, Bret Jones and his father, Brereton, brought what they deemed to be an exemplary weanling colt from the first crop of Creative Cause to the Keeneland sales ring in hopes of showcasing their young stallion. When the interest level of prospective buyers did not match their expectations and the dark bay RNA’d for $65,000, the Joneses were content to bring the youngster back to the family’s Airdrie Farm in hopes of eventually displaying his talent on the racetrack.
“We wanted to take over some weanlings that would get everyone buzzing, and for whatever reason, the market just wasn’t quite as high on the colt as we were,” Bret Jones recalled. “So we decided then to play it out.”
Fast forward nearly two years later, and that decision is looking like a shrewd one. The colt, named Running Mate (Creative Cause), has been nothing short of dominant in his first two starts, never threatened in a pair of wire-to-wire victories. The dark bay earned ‘TDN Rising Star’ status with a six-length score in his six-furlong debut at Delaware Park Oct. 5 [video] and returned from a brief layoff to annex an optional claimer navigating the same trip at the Fair Grounds Nov. 25 [video]. Running Mate’s two performances were so impressive that he was offered as a betting interest in Pool One of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, closing at odds of 55-1.
“We’re very fortunate that things have worked out the way they have,” Jones commented. “We have always thought he was an exceptionally nice individual. The best advertising we can do for Creative Cause is to send a nice one to [trainer] Larry Jones, and hopefully this horse is the one.”
Larry Jones, who has trained a trio of GI Kentucky Oaks winners carrying Brereton Jones’s silks, will send Running Mate out for his first stakes test in Saturday’s Sugar Bowl S. in New Orleans.
“He couldn’t be doing any better, according to every report we get from Larry,” Jones noted. “I think he’s sitting on a big effort, and with that field, they’re going to make him run a little bit. We just have to hope he’s up to the task, but we’re going in there thinking we have a really nice colt.”
The owner has good reason to be optimistic, given that Running Mate has simply run away from his competition under minimal encouragement in both races. Following the juvenile’s most recent tally, Jones’s thoughts understandably turned to the possibility that the homebred could be even better over a route of ground.
“That was the exact question I asked Larry Jones when he crossed the wire after his last race,” Jones quipped when asked about the colt’s prospects to handle additional distance. “Larry said he wants to run around three times. So, from every indication, added ground should be nothing but a bonus.”
Jones also observed that Running Mate has some significant stamina influences in his pedigree. His dam, Street Mate (Street Cry {Ire}), is a half-sister to Edward P. Evans’s GII Meadowlands Breeders’ Cup S. winner Tap Day (Pleasant Tap), who also ran second in the 10-furlong GI Suburban H.
“It’s a great Ned Evans family underneath there, and being out of a Street Cry mare, there shouldn’t be any distance limitations,” Jones said.
As for Saturday, Running Mate is remaining at six furlongs in search of his first stakes success as the 7-5 morning-line favorite. The Sugar Bowl could prove to be particularly special for the Joneses, as 5-2 second choice Keep Talking (Ghostzapper) will carry the Brereton Jones silks for trainer Tom Proctor. Bret Jones was quick to note Keep Talking is also a well-bred horse with significant upside. The bay’s second dam is GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. winner Sweet Talker (Stormin Fever).
“Both colts are the first foals of their mares,” he explained. “It’s an opportunity, hopefully for both of us, to get blacktype for them. Keep Talking can really run. That’s a colt that Tom Proctor has been high on since he got him, and he’s absolutely going to be a stern test for Running Mate.”
With the holidays right around the corner, will the Jones family be celebrating a 1-2 finish in the Sugar Bowl?
“Hopefully we both take nice colts into the New Year,” Jones concluded.
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“We wanted to take over some weanlings that would get everyone buzzing, and for whatever reason, the market just wasn’t quite as high on the colt as we were,” Bret Jones recalled. “So we decided then to play it out.”
Fast forward nearly two years later, and that decision is looking like a shrewd one. The colt, named Running Mate (Creative Cause), has been nothing short of dominant in his first two starts, never threatened in a pair of wire-to-wire victories. The dark bay earned ‘TDN Rising Star’ status with a six-length score in his six-furlong debut at Delaware Park Oct. 5 [video] and returned from a brief layoff to annex an optional claimer navigating the same trip at the Fair Grounds Nov. 25 [video]. Running Mate’s two performances were so impressive that he was offered as a betting interest in Pool One of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, closing at odds of 55-1.
“We’re very fortunate that things have worked out the way they have,” Jones commented. “We have always thought he was an exceptionally nice individual. The best advertising we can do for Creative Cause is to send a nice one to [trainer] Larry Jones, and hopefully this horse is the one.”
Larry Jones, who has trained a trio of GI Kentucky Oaks winners carrying Brereton Jones’s silks, will send Running Mate out for his first stakes test in Saturday’s Sugar Bowl S. in New Orleans.
“He couldn’t be doing any better, according to every report we get from Larry,” Jones noted. “I think he’s sitting on a big effort, and with that field, they’re going to make him run a little bit. We just have to hope he’s up to the task, but we’re going in there thinking we have a really nice colt.”
The owner has good reason to be optimistic, given that Running Mate has simply run away from his competition under minimal encouragement in both races. Following the juvenile’s most recent tally, Jones’s thoughts understandably turned to the possibility that the homebred could be even better over a route of ground.
“That was the exact question I asked Larry Jones when he crossed the wire after his last race,” Jones quipped when asked about the colt’s prospects to handle additional distance. “Larry said he wants to run around three times. So, from every indication, added ground should be nothing but a bonus.”
Jones also observed that Running Mate has some significant stamina influences in his pedigree. His dam, Street Mate (Street Cry {Ire}), is a half-sister to Edward P. Evans’s GII Meadowlands Breeders’ Cup S. winner Tap Day (Pleasant Tap), who also ran second in the 10-furlong GI Suburban H.
“It’s a great Ned Evans family underneath there, and being out of a Street Cry mare, there shouldn’t be any distance limitations,” Jones said.
As for Saturday, Running Mate is remaining at six furlongs in search of his first stakes success as the 7-5 morning-line favorite. The Sugar Bowl could prove to be particularly special for the Joneses, as 5-2 second choice Keep Talking (Ghostzapper) will carry the Brereton Jones silks for trainer Tom Proctor. Bret Jones was quick to note Keep Talking is also a well-bred horse with significant upside. The bay’s second dam is GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. winner Sweet Talker (Stormin Fever).
“Both colts are the first foals of their mares,” he explained. “It’s an opportunity, hopefully for both of us, to get blacktype for them. Keep Talking can really run. That’s a colt that Tom Proctor has been high on since he got him, and he’s absolutely going to be a stern test for Running Mate.”
With the holidays right around the corner, will the Jones family be celebrating a 1-2 finish in the Sugar Bowl?
“Hopefully we both take nice colts into the New Year,” Jones concluded.
Continue reading...