Kentucky Derby prep: Catching Freedom wins Smarty Jones
After racing near the back of the pack early, post-time favorite Catching Freedom gradually picked off rivals between the end of the backstretch and final furlong on his way to winning Monday’s $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn, the first points prep of the new year for Kentucky Derby 2024.
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Owned by Albaugh Family Stables, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Cristian Torres, Catching Freedom (8-5) took a wide path in the homestretch to run past early stalker Just Steel (9-2) for a 2 1/2-length victory going 1 1/16 miles around two turns on the fast main track.
“He just runs them down at the end,” Torres said. “We were able to have great trip. I saved all the ground the first part of the race. As soon as I got him out, he accelerated like he always does.”
Just Steel placed second and will appreciate more distance, according to his trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
“Might have been a little bit short,” Lukas said. “I thought he ran very well. The one thing about it, it’s a four-race series before you get to the Derby, so you’ve got to be a little bit careful.”
It was another neck back to Informed Patriot (10-1), who closed from mid-pack to finish third. Gettysburg Address (5-1), who overcame getting pinched at the start, was another neck back in fourth. Mystik Dan (7-1) pressed the early pace before fading to fifth in the field of nine 3-year-olds. For the top five finishers, the race was worth 10-5-3-2-1 points toward qualifying for the May 4 running of the Kentucky Derby.
The winning time was 1:44.59 following early fractions of 23.02, 47.01, 1:12.20 and 1:38.34.
A son of Constitution, Catching Freedom raised his career earnings to $237,350 after his second victory from three starts. Catching Freedom was a $575,000 Keeneland September yearling-sale purchase in 2022.
Cox and Iowa-based Albaugh Family Stables, run by Dennis Albaugh and his son-in-law Jason Loutsch, teamed to win the Grade 1, $1.25 million Arkansas Derby in April with Angel of Empire.
“I think he’s still learning,” Cox said by phone. “I think he was a little green there down the lane but overall showed that he does have a lot of stamina and talent. I thought he stepped up and ran well against a solid group of 3-year-olds.”
The Smarty Jones was extended this year to 1 1/16 miles after being run at one mile since its inception in 2008.