Creme Fraiche (April 7, 1982 – October 9, 2003) was an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

Background

Creme Fraiche was sired by Rich Cream, co-holder of the world record of 1:19.40 for 7 furlongs on dirt in the 1980

Triple Bend Handicap The Triple Bend Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for horses age four years and older over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California in June. The race currently offers a purse of $2 ...

. His dam Likely Exchange was a female-line descendant of Strange Device, a half-sister to the

Kentucky Oaks The Kentucky Oaks is a Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred Filly, fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky O ...

winner Mars Shield. Bred by Pamela Firman and her nephew,

G. Watts Humphrey, Jr. G. Watts Humphrey Jr. (born June 12, 1944, in Cleveland, Ohio) is a Pittsburgh businessman and thoroughbred owner and breeder. Background Humphrey's paternal grandfather was George M. Humphrey, who served as Secretary of the Treasury for Preside ...

, Creme Fraiche was originally sent as a yearling colt to the 1983

Fasig-Tipton The Fasig-Tipton Company, Inc. is an American auction house for Thoroughbred and Standardbred horses. Founded in 1898, it is the oldest auction company of its kind in North America. The company has offices in Lexington, Kentucky, Elkton, Maryla ...

Kentucky July sale, where he was sold to Brushwood Stable for $160,000. He was sent from there to Virginia's Hickory Tree Stable for breaking where he proved unruly and was

gelded A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, making th ...

Racing career

Although thought to be a "late bloomer", Creme Fraiche was a hardy three-year-old, winning the

Derby Trial The Pat Day Mile Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on dirt over a distance of one mile scheduled on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The current purse is $500,000. History ...

and the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...

, with

Eddie Maple Edward Retz "Eddie" Maple (born November 8, 1948, in Carrollton, Ohio) is a retired American thoroughbred horse racing jockey. One of eight siblings, he is an older brother to jockey Sam Maple, who won more than 2,500 races. Maple began riding ...

astride, becoming the first

gelding A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, makin ...

to win the classic race and the fourth consecutive Belmont winner for his trainer,

Woody Stephens Woody Stephens (September 1, 1913 – August 22, 1998) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame trainer. Biography Born Woodford Cefis Stephens in Stanton, Kentucky, he had a younger brother named William Ward Stephens who also b ...

. By the end of his three-year-old season, he had five graded stakes wins. As a four-year-old, Creme Fraiche won the

Jockey Club Gold Cup The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It has traditionally been the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the sp ...

, defeating Turkoman, and ended the year with almost $1 million in additional earnings. At five, he again won the Jockey Club Gold Cup (beating

Java Gold Java Gold (1984–2009) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won three Grade 1 races and sired two Champions. Bred by Paul Mellon, and raced by his Rokeby Stables, Java Gold notably won the 1986 Remsen Stakes at age two with Jerry Bailey ...

) as well as the Meadowlands Handicap, and finished that year with a career high of $1,323,666 in earnings. At six, he won both the January and December

Tropical Park Handicap The Tropical Park Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Tropical Park Race Track in Florida run from 1938 until the track closed in 1972. Open to horses age three and older, it was contested on dirt over a distance of a o ...

but never won another graded race again, with a third at age six in the W. L. McKnight Handicap as his best effort.

Retirement

Retired at age seven, Creme Fraiche was sent to Brushwood Stable near Malvern, PA, for pensioning. He was visited by fans bringing his favorite treat of mints until he was put down due to a severe case of

laminitis Laminitis is a disease that affects the feet of ungulates and is found mostly in horses and cattle. Clinical signs include foot tenderness progressing to inability to walk, increased digital pulses, and increased temperature in the hooves. Sever ...

on October 9, 2003, at the age of 21. He was buried at the farm in the memorial garden at Bryn Clovis.

Pedigree

* Creme Fraiche was

inbred Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...

4 × 4 to Heliopolis, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.

References

{{Belmont Stakes Winners 1982 racehorse births 2003 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Belmont Stakes winners Thoroughbred family 9-f