The Western Thoroughbred History – Afton Creek

Afton Creek was a blue-blooded Thoroughbred stallion that was unremarkable in his short racing career but became an influential sire of Quarter Horse racing, reining and cutting horses.

Afton Creek was foaled in 1950. He was by Coldstream, a multiple stakes winning son of North American leading sire and broodmare sire Bull Dog. His dam, Sweet Afton, was an unraced mare by the 1934 Champion 2 Year Old Colt Balladier. He was a half-brother to race winners Granite Chips, Sweet Error, Sweet Peace, Louis’ Student and Sayafton. Afton Creek made two starts at age three and one start at age five. It is unclear why there was a large gap in his brief career, but he did win one race and earn $1,950, the equivalent of about $20,000 today.

Afton Creek entered stud in 1955. His first foal crop included race winner Grand Marie, a Thoroughbred filly out of Grand Alarm, by Grand Time. In 1961, Sports Page, a brown colt by Afton Creek and out of Miss Adelita, by Leo, set a new track record at Garfield Downs for 350 yards in 18.2 seconds. Coast Guard, a sorrel colt out of Soroya, by Parker’s Chicaro, won the 1966 Christmas Championship and set a new track record at Blue Ribbon Downs for 440 yards in 22.27 seconds. Levan Creek, a chestnut gelding out of Vennetta Lee, by Levan, won the 1967 King Bee Downs Futurity and 1968 Blue Ribbon Derby and equaled the track record at King Bee Downs for 350 yards in 18.41 seconds. Afton Creek’s other stakes winners included Casino Creek, Flood Creek, Lee Creek and Afton Creek, a brown colt out of Dustabout Bars that shared his same name.

Jimmy Creek, a 1966 gelding bred by Jim Kindred in Oklahoma, was Afton Creek’s most successful starter. Jimmy Creek was out of Leota Do It, a stakes placed mare by Leo. He won the Oklahoma Derby, Lam Kansas Maturity, La Pitahaya Derby, Donald S. Gardner Sr. Memorial Handicap, and Autumn Championship. He also placed in the Lam Kansas Derby, La Bahia Derby, Lam All Distance Champ Series, Ruidoso Open, Casa Blanca Futurity, Charles Hershberger Maturity, Christmas Championship and Hilltop Championship. He set three new track records – one at L.I.F.E. Downs for 440 yards in 22.47 seconds, one at Columbus for 400 yards in 20.3 seconds and one at La Mesa Park for 400 yards in 19.51 seconds. In total, Jimmy Creek won 22 races and earned $47,435 in his nine-year racing career. He passed away in 1994 at age 28.

Afton Creek also sired race winners Kent’s Boy Creek, Afton’s Bob, Camille Creek, Lady Afton Bux, Golden Chaparral, After Em Rose and More Creek among many others. In total, he sired 173 registered Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse foals in 22 foal crops. Those included 71 race winners, 47 race ROM earners, seven stakes winners, and three Superior Race Award earners with earnings of $388,372 on the track.

Several of his sons went on to become successful sires. Cajun Creek and Coldstream Guard earned AQHA Champion titles in the arena. Cajun Creek would later sire eight AQHA Champions as well as Scarlet Bonny, the dam of AQHA World Champion Reining Horse Scarlet Brio. Coldstream Guard sired AQHA Champion Flying W Guard and NCHA Hall of Fame inductee Kingstream. Calcutta Creek sired halter and performance point earners as well as All American Futurity finalist Calcutta Deck. The record-setter Sports Page sired stakes winners Miss Sports Bar and I’m a Sports Bar. Afton Creek was the dam sire of Bar None Doll, the 1966 AQHA Racing World Champion Filly and 1967 AQHA Racing World Champion Aged Mare. His daughters also produced stakes winners Afton Don, Holme Maid, Jetsons Creek and Native Creek as well as numerous performance horses.

Afton Creek’s last foals were born in 1977. Today, his name can be found in the pedigrees of racing, barrel racing, reining, cutting and roping horses. One of his more famous descendants, Profit Increase, has offspring excelling in racing, barrel racing and roping. Afton Creek may not have sired many horses, but the outstanding versatility of his descendants makes him a Western Thoroughbred worth remembering.