Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview.com

The 71^st running of the Grade 2 San Vicente Sunday at Santa Anita Park will feature the 2012 debut of Creative Cause, a colt many see as the best Kentucky Derby horse on the West Coast.

The seven-furlong race will go off as race 7 with a 6:36 p.m. EST post time.

Creative Cause (2) was last seen finishing third behind Hansen and Union Rags in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November at Churchill Downs. The son of Giant’s Causeway has been working well across town at Hollywood Park. He received the “bullet” for his six-furlong work in 1:11.40 on Feb. 12. The Mike Harrington-trained charge will be piloted by Joel Rosario. He looks like the best in the field, but he could be a victim of the Breeders’ Cup jinx. So far in 2012, horses starting for the first time since the Breeders’ Cup races have not won.

Five other colts have signed on to face Creative Cause and from the rail out they are:

Let’s Get Crackin (1) was third in the San Pedro on Jan. 22. He only has two wins out of nine starts but to his favor he did finish in front of Drill in the San Pedro. This son of Eddington is on his fifth trainer, and for this race it’s Craig Dollase. He got a respectable speed figure in the San Pedro, but it’s a good guess if he can duplicate it.

The aforementioned Drill (3) has been “drilled” in his last five races since winning the Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 7 at Del Mar. At least trainer Bob Baffert sticks him in an elongated sprint here. I don’t think he’s a Derby horse. His last workout also was uncharacteristically slow for a Baffert horse. I don’t plan on wasting any money on him.

Smoking G (4) broke his maiden in his third try on Jan. 28, but it was on turf. He’s by Smoke Glacken, so he definitely got some speed. Whether he can run with the big boys is another question.

American Act (5) could be the colt to walk off with all the marbles if Creative Cause needs one. Trainer Jack Carava is very high on this son of Quiet American. He broke his maiden in his third try but Carava said his first race was just to get the experience. The second was on turf and he ran a good second. He definitely will be the speed in the race and will be the target.

Captain Obvious (6) is from Ireland and this will be his second race in the United States. He was fourth in the Real Quiet on Nov. 12 at Hollywood Park over the Cushion Track. This will be his first try on real dirt and his fifth lifetime start, with his only win coming on turf. He picks up blinkers, but your guess is as good as mine.

I’m going with the premise that Creative Cause will need a race and I think American Act will be tough to catch. I’ll use American Act on top with Creative Cause and Let’s Get Crackin. I guess you can use Drill in the fourth spot. Ron’s picks: 5-2-1-3

Benoit Photo
Creative Cause