Free as a Bird Tries to Go Out a Winner at Keeneland
Elizabeth J. Valando’s homebred Free as a Bird is set to defend her title in Friday’s $100,000 Buffalo Trace Franklin County in what will be the final race of her career.
Trained by Ian Wilkes, the 6-year-old daughter of Hard Spun enters the stakes with one win in five starts this year. Her schedule of races has nearly matched her 2014 campaign in which she won six races, including five consecutive stakes, and earned $354,628. Free as a Bird captured last year’s Buffalo Trace Franklin County by a half-length over Ageless.
Keeneland fans should be familiar with the two mares. Ageless, who returns for Friday’s race, has two triumphs over Free as a Bird here, winning the 2014 and 2015 Giant’s Causeway during the Spring Meet.
Valando’s racing manager, Michael Levine, said she has a particular affinity for Free as a Bird, who is out of her Grade 3 winner Take the Cake, by Fly So Free. Fly So Free, who raced for her late husband, Tommy won the 1990 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) and was the year’s champion 2-year-old male. In 2002, Mrs. Valando raced Take the Cake to finish second behind Take Charge Lady in Keeneland’s Ashland (G1). Take the Cake was trained by Wilkes’ former employer, Carl Nafzger.
“She’s always been one of her favorites,” Levine said about the mare. “Of all the horses she’s had, I’d say she’s in the top three.”
Friday’s race will mark the 27th career start for Free as a Bird, who has nine wins and earnings of $596,436.
“I’d love to see her go out a winner,” Levine said.
SPOTLIGHT ON KEENELAND SALES GRADUATES WHO BECAME
BREEDERS’ CUP WINNERS: A.P. INDY
On Oct. 30-31, Keeneland for the first time will host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which consists of 13 Grade 1 races worth $26 million in purses and awards. Through its world-famous sales, Keeneland has had a long connection to the Breeders’ Cup. A total of 82 Keeneland sales graduates have won 88 Breeders’ Cup races.
In the days leading up to this year’s Breeders’ Cup, prominent winners who sold at Keeneland will be profiled.
A.P. Indy (1992 Breeders’ Cup Classic): This Kentucky-bred son of Seattle Slew-Weekend Surprise, by Secretariat, was highly regarded from the start. A half-brother to 1990 Preakness (G1) winner Summer Squall, he was consigned by Lane’s End to Keeneland’s 1990 July Selected Yearling Sale and topped the sale when sold for $2,900,000 to BBA (Ireland). In 1992, A.P. Indy won the Belmont (G1) during a seven-race win streak that included the Santa Anita Derby (G1). Trained by Neil Drysdale and racing for Will Farish, Harold Goodman, William Kilroy and Tomonori Tsurumaki, he ended his career with a two-length win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Gulfstream Park.
Named Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old colt, A.P. Indy won eight races in 11 starts and earned $2,979,815. He entered stud at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky and became a leading sire with such offspring as Horse of the Year Mineshaft; champion and Belmont (G1) winner Rags to Riches; champion and Preakness winner Bernardini; and Breeders’ Cup winners Eldaafer and champion Tempera. A.P. Indy was a four-time leading sire at Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale.
Inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2000, the now 26-year-old A.P. Indy is retired from stud at Lane’s End. His offspring had earned more than $134 million through Oct. 7, 2015.
WORK TAB
Joe Ragsdale’s multiple graded-stakes winner Sarah Sis worked five furlongs over a fast main track in 1:02 for trainer Ingrid Mason. Prepping for next Saturday’s $250,000 Lexus Raven Run (G2), Sarah Sis posted fractions of :13, :24.80, :37.80 and1:02 with Florent Geroux aboard.
Source: Keeneland Association