Catching Freedom

Albaugh Family Stables' Catching Freedom, the 8-5 favorite, kicked off his sophomore campaign in style with a late-running victory in the Smarty Jones S. at Oaklawn Park Monday. Favored for his third-straight start, the bay colt was unhurried early Monday and settled well off the pace behind fractions of :23.02 and :47.01. He inched closer along the rail on the far turn, tipped out for running room approaching the stretch and rolled up four wide into the lane. Just to his inside off the turn was Just Steel (Justify), who...

4th-Churchill Downs, $120,000, Msw, 10-1, 2yo, 1m, 1:36.58, ft, 3 3/4 lengths. CATCHING FREEDOM (c, 2, Constitution--Catch My Drift {SW & GISP, $280,540}, by Pioneerof the Nile) was well-backed for this one-turn mile debut as the even-money favorite here. Situated midfield, the hooded bay colt chased the pace up set by Cash Only (Street Sense) up the backstretch, came under a ride by tipping to the outside around the far turn and showing steady progress at the eighth pole, Catching Freedom graduated by 3 3/4 lengths over the leader. The...

7th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 3:50 p.m. At Churchill Downs Sunday, drawn to the extreme outside is BLOWN COVER (Gun Runner) who will make his first start for an ownership group which includes Spendthrift Farm and Gandharvi Racing. A $650,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, the dark bay colt, bred by Machmer Hall and trained by Brad Cox, is the second offspring to make the races out of a dam who is a half-sister to GII Oaklawn H. hero Cyber Secret (Broken Vow). Also debuting here is Track Phantom (Quality...