Catching Freedom outkicks for the victory in the Louisiana Derby and a spot in the Kentucky Derby (Hodges Photography/Lou Hodges Jr.)
David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club/Edited
BALTIMORE, Md.— Kentucky Derby (G1) fourth-place finisher Catching Freedom is under consideration for the 149th Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, said Jason Loutsch, the co-owner and racing manager for Albaugh Family Stables.
The Louisiana Derby (G2) winner rallied from 15th to finish fourth under Flavien Prat in the Kentucky Derby, coming in two lengths behind the three-horse photo from which Mystik Dan emerged the winner.
Loutsch said Thursday by phone that the ultimate decision will be made by Churchill Downs-based trainer Brad Cox, but that Catching Freedom likely will run in either the 1 3/16-mile Preakness or Churchill Downs’ $400,000 Matt Winn Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles on June 9.
“We never really ruled it out,” Loutsch said of the Preakness. “We were just going to give the horse some time to come back. We weren’t going to commit until we found out how the horse is doing. We’ll know something by Saturday. Obviously, you’d love to run in Triple Crown races, but at the same time the horse is always first.
“We’ll make a decision by the weekend. He’s doing well now. I’m not opposed to taking a shot in the Preakness, but I’ve got to listen to Brad and the horse and take my heart out of it,” he added. “Of course I want to run, but at the end of the day it’s all about the horse. He ran a bang-up race, ran hard in the Derby. We’ll just see how he comes back out of it. If we don’t run in the Preakness, we’ll go to the Matt Winn.”
Catching Freedom came from last, rallying into a pedestrian pace, to win the Louisiana Derby at the Preakness distance of 1 3/16 miles.
Join the Coach at the Alibi Breakfast Thursday, May 16 to ‘Boast, Toast and Roast!’
The Alibi Breakfast features an annual gathering of horsemen and media to celebrate the Preakness and to solicit interesting race predications. It has also become an opportunity for the Maryland Jockey Club to recognize those who have made significant contributions to the racing industry. Click for tickets.
