Freedom Trail Seeks Soph Bounce in Kent Stakes

Freedom Trail took the Awad at Belmont at the Big A October 2022. (Susie Raisher)

Chris Sobocinski/Delaware Park 

WILMINGTON, Del.—Gatsas Stables, R.A. Hill Stable & Steven Schoenfeld’s Freedom Trail is the slight choice in the field of seven entered in the $150,000 Kent Stakes this Saturday.  The mile and three-eighths turf affair for 3-year-olds has been carded as the eighth race with an approximate post time of 4:00 pm.

The Kentucky-bred trained by John Terranova will be seeking his first win of the year in the Kent.  In his most recent outing, the son of Collected ran fifth in the mile and an eighth Grade II Pennine Ridge over the Belmont Park turf course on June 3.  Previously, he ran seventh in the mile and a sixteenth Grade III Transylvania on the Keeneland grass on May 23.  Last year, he posted a record of two wins from three starts including at stakes score in the $120,000 Awad Stakes.

Godolphin’s Phileas Fogg will be seeking his first career stakes victory.  The Kentucky-bred trained by Michael Stidham has a career record of a win from two starts.  In his only outing this year, the son of Astern ran second in a one-mile dirt allowance at Delaware Park on June 28.  Last year, he broke his maiden going a mile and a sixteenth on the main track at Fair Grounds on December 8.

“We have always really liked him from the beginning,” said trainer Michael Stidham.  “After he broke his maiden impressively first time out at the Fair Grounds, he came up with a little problem, so we gave him some time.  We have always thought somewhere in the future for this horse would be grass based upon his pedigree and the distance should certainly fit him because he is a big galloping type of horse.  It is a big step up right into a stake when he is still eligible for his “other than” condition, but we felt like this was a great opportunity to try both the grass and the distance.”

$150,000 Kent Stakes
For 3-year-olds at a mile and three eighths (turf)