​Registered Name: Creative Design

Born in Florida on Feburary 18, 2005

Sired by Stravinsky Out of Express Star by Baldski

Hello, my name is Creative Design, but you can call me CD. This is my story.

I was born in 2005 in Florida, the offspring of two incredible athletes. My sire, Stravinsky, was a champion in Europe, and my dam, Express Star, was a stakes winner who earned over $450,000 on the racetrack. From the moment I took my first breath, I was destined for greatness in the eyes of my human owners.

At the start of my life, I was owned by Peter Vegso, a successful publisher who built an empire on the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Ironically, he even co-authored two books titled Chicken Soup for the Horse Lover's Soul. 

For five years, I carried Vegso's colors on the racetrack, competing 22 times at eight different racetracks. I gave my all, winning four races and earning $113,552. But when I finished last in my final race at Gulfstream Park in 2010, my value to him seemed to diminish.

Within months, I was sent to be bred to Bernardini, a stallion commanding a $60,000 stud fee. I thought perhaps this was my new purpose, to create the next generation of champions. But I quickly learned that in this industry, I was just a commodity.

I was sold at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale for $210,000, and thus began a series of owners who saw me as nothing more than a means to an end. Over the years, my foals sold for over $500,000, and three of them are currently racing, earning over $200,000. Yet, despite the success I brought to my owners, they haven't remembered me -- at least not yet.

My last recorded owners, Three Lyons Racing LLC, bred me to Enticed in 2021. When I didn't stay pregnant, I suddenly found myself discarded, my once valuable bloodlines now a mere afterthought. I ended up in a kill pen at the O'Dwyer Livestock slaughter yards in Texas, reduced to a number: #6027.

As I stood there, awaiting my fate, I couldn't help but reflect on my life. I had given everything to the humans who owned me, yet in my darkest hour, none of them were there to save me. I was just another used-up thoroughbred, destined for a brutal end in a Mexican slaughterhouse.

But then, a miracle happened. A kind soul in Virginia saw me, recognized my inherent worth, and fought for my life. The team at Unbridled answered the call, and suddenly, I had a new purpose, a new home, and my identity reclaimed! 

Now, at Unbridled, I have found true friendship with two other mares, Town and Queen. We understand each other's pain, and together, we are healing. For the first time in my life, I am seen not for what I can produce, but for who I am.

My story is a testament to the resilience of the equine spirit and the power of compassion to change lives. I hope that by sharing my journey, I can inspire others to see the inherent worth in all horses, regardless of their past or their current circumstances.

To all those who have been touched by my story, I ask you to be a voice for the voiceless. Support organizations like Unbridled that give horses like me a second chance at life. Together, we can create a world where no horse is discarded and every horse knows the love and compassion they so deeply deserve.