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.

​Registered Name: Creative Design

Born in Florida on Feburary 18, 2005

Sired by Stravinsky Out of Express Star by Baldski