Monday's rescheduled Affirmed Stakes was run at a breakneck clip, and that suited the class-dropping SECURED FREEDOM (c, 3, Practical Joke–Securely, by Uncle Mo), who made a long run from three furlongs out and overcame some late greenness to win for the first time in stakes company.
Settled in fifth position as Mo Koko (Mo Town) and 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Decisive Win (Nyquist) match-raced into the clubhouse turn, Secured Freedom was content to bide his time from midfield and improved past a rival to be fourth approaching the second bend.
Ridden along by Joel Rosario, the Virginia-bred Secured Freedom began to zero in on the gasping pacesetters and rolled up to poke his head in front four or five deep at the quarter pole. The bay colt, getting the blinkers off from Tim Yakteen, appeared to idle some, allowing One More Freud (Tonalist) to loom a threat inside the final furlong, but Secured Freedom got his mind back on business in the final 40 yards and held sway to the line to score at the 13-10 chalk.
Secured Freedom was exiting a fourth to 'TDN Rising Stars' Crude Velocity (Beau Liam) and Englishman (Maxfield) in the GII Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs on May 2.
The winner's dam, Securely, produced a colt by Maximus Mischief in 2025 and was bred back to Prince of Monaco.
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AFFIRMED S., $101,000, Santa Anita, 6-15, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:45.32, ft.
1–SECURED FREEDOM, 120, c, 3, by Practical Joke
1st Dam: Securely, by Uncle Mo
2nd Dam: In Secure, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Morelia, by Deputy Minister
($110,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Amestoy,
Leslie A., Amestoy, Jr., Pierre Jean and Beasley, Roger K.;
B-Audley Farm Equine, LLC (VA); T-Tim Yakteen; J-Joel Rosario.
$60,000. Lifetime Record: GSP, 6-2-0-1, $160,150.
*1/2 to Sporting Lady (Munnings), SP, $240,450; Hold Tight
(Candy Ride {Arg}), SW, $191,964.
2–One More Freud, 124, c, 3, Tonalist–Freudian Finish, by
Haynesfield. O-JP Racing Stable (Ralph J. Bianculli), Paradise
Farms Corp., Bayer, Robert C., Diskin, Keith and Lambert,
Jeffrey; B-Larry Hirsch (KY); T-Robert B. Hess, Jr.. $20,000.
3–Constitution Andi, 120, c, 3, Constitution–Candavar, by
Candy Ride (Arg). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Williams, Larry D. and
Williams, Marianne; B-Larry D. Williams (KY); T-Mike Puype.
$12,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 1 1/4, 1HF. Odds: 1.30, 11.60, 35.80.
Also Ran: Decisive Win, Litmus Test, Mo Koko, Court of Appeal.
#4 SECURED FREEDOM ($4.60) circled the leaders coming to the stretch to win the $100,000 Affirmed Stakes at @santaanitapark. The son of Practical Joke (@coolmoreamerica) was ridden by @JRosarioJockey and is trained by @timyakteen. pic.twitter.com/1JHz0VGSX1
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) June 15, 2026
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