American Freedom earned his first graded stakes victory in style with a dominant score in Iowa Friday evening. Hammered down to 1-5 favoritism from a 5-2 morning-line quote, the bay broke sharply and rushed up to press from second as Lookin for a Kiss (Lookin at Lucky) clocked an opening quarter in :23.52. American Freedom took control just as they hit the half in :47.75, but Catfish Creek was eagerly waiting and the chalk allowed that rival to briefly call the shots. Catfish Creek threw in towel at the quarter-pole, hitting the brakes as American Freedom resumed command with Texas Chrome and Hint of Roses hot on his tail. However, those foes quickly proved to be no threat to the Bob Baffert runner, who easily coasted clear in the stretch to win by a geared-down 4 3/4 lengths over Texas Chrome. Owners Gary and Mary West also won the GIII Iowa Oaks Thursday night with Family Tree (Smart Strike) in her first start back under the care of Wayne Catalano after spending some time in the Baffert barn. It was the second win on the card for jockey Rafael Bejarano, who captured the Iowa Distaff one race earlier with Innovative Idea (Bernardini).
“This time I had a really good trip,” Bejarano said. “I tried to keep close, tried to find position right away. It was a little fast in the beginning, but that was good for me. I saw the other horse [Texas Chrome] coming at the 3/8ths, but I knew I still had a lot of horse. I worked this horse a lot of times, so he was very fit for this race. I wasn't afraid to wait and let him take off in the stretch.”
American Freedom had the racing world buzzing after an impressive debut win in the slop at Santa Anita with Bejarano at the controls Apr. 9, which had Baffert talking GI Haskell Invitational S. It was on to Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May for the GIII Pat Day Mile, where the bay finished a head-scratching sixth as the favorite. The $500,000 KEESEP buy returned to winning ways last time with a decisive score in a muddy renewal of Pimlico's Sir Barton S. May 21.
Out of two-time stakes winner Gottcha Last, American Freedom is a half-brother to MGSW and GISP Gottcha Gold (Coronado's Quest). He also has a 2-year-old half-brother by Union Rags and his dam produced a Congrats colt Mar. 6.
Friday, Prarie Meadows
IOWA DERBY-GIII, $250,000, PRM, 7-1, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:42.62, ft.
1–@AMERICAN FREEDOM, 122, c, 3, by Pulpit
1st Dam: Gottcha Last (MSW, $111,488), by Pleasant Tap
2nd Dam: Temper the Wind, by Elocutionist
3rd Dam: Race the Tide, by Cyane
($500,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Gary & Mary West; B-Centaur
Farms, Inc. (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Rafael Bejarano. $150,000.
Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $246,100. *1/2 to Gottcha Gold
(Coronado's Quest), MGSW & GISP, $933,570. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++
*Triple Plus*.
[bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Texas Chrome, 119, c, 3, Grasshopper–Margarita Mistress, by
Naevus. ($10,000 Ylg '14 TEXOCT). O-Keene Thoroughbreds
LLC; B-Craig D. Upham (TX); T-J. R. Caldwell. $50,000.
3–Hint of Roses, 116, c, 3, Tapit–Last Kitten, by Catienus.
O/B-Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey (KY); T-Michael Maker. $25,000.
[bullet ad=”eqb-cardioclient”][bullet ad=”webb-carroll-another-wctc-grad”]Margins: 4 3/4, 4, 3HF. Odds: 0.30, 5.10, 8.40.
Also Ran: Lookin for a Kiss, Catfish Creek, Colonel Dan. Scratched: Synchrony, The Rouge Diesel. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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