Creative Cause makes his much-anticipated 3-year-old debut next Sunday in the Grade II San Vicente Stakes.

Trained by Mike Harrington for owner Heinz Steinmann, Creative Cause will be making his first start since finishing third by a length in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile after a wide trip. Prior to that, the gray son of Giant’s Causeway won the Grade I Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita by 3 1/4 lengths.

Joel Rosario returns aboard Creative Cause in the San Vicente.

“I haven’t worked him, but he’s been working good,” Rosario said. “He’s a nice horse, and I’m sure he’s doing good.”

Creative Cause has in fact been working smartly and steadily at his Hollywood Park headquarters, producing a bullet six-furlong drill in 1:11.60 (1/20) on Jan. 28; six furlongs on Feb. 4 in 1:13.80 (6/17) and another bullet today, going six furlongs in 1:11.40 (1/17). The average time of the day for the latter work was 1:14.07.

“He worked very nice,” Harrington said. “He seems to be coming up to the race fine.”

Continued Rosario: “It looks like he could be a little fresh coming off a layoff, but he’s a great horse, and I love to ride him. His Breeders’ Cup race was a good one. I was impressed with it. Maybe he’s the right horse for the Derby, who knows?”

In other San Vicente news: Drill worked five furlongs on Santa Anita’s main track Sunday in 1:02, but Bob Baffert was still non-committal on whether the son of Lawyer Ron would run.

--Edited Santa Anita release with additional content by Dick Downey