Freedom’s Not Free makes it back-to-back stakes wins for Glatt In Sunday’s Cinema Stakes. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif. — Freedom’s Not Free made it back-to-back stakes wins Sunday when edging away late under Antonio Fresu to score by 1 ¼ lengths in the $100,000 Cinema Stakes for 3-year-olds going a mile on turf at Santa Anita.
Trained by Mark Glatt, Freedom’s Not Free enjoyed an ideal trip pressing pacesetter Incanto (14-1) through fractions of 23.10, 46.94 and 1:11.11 for six furlongs. Freedom’s Not Free then gradually ran down a game Incanto inside the eighth pole and held off all comers to win as the even-money favorite. Longshot Bodi Zafa (15-1) with Kazushi Kimura aboard got up to be second while Incanto, ridden by Tiago Pereira, held on for third by a nose over Game Warrior (7-1).
Freedom’s Not Free won in a time of 1:34.74.
“The horse to my inside (Incanto) I rode last time so I knew him,” Fresu said. “I knew he had gate speed, and he took the lead, so I just gave a little target to my horse. When I asked him at the quarter pole, he went for it, but I don’t think he still gives 100 percent. He hit the front and did what he had to do. On the gallop-out I couldn’t stop him.”
After two lackluster starts on dirt to start his career last fall, Freedom’s Not Free has been nearly perfect since being switched to turf. He broke his maiden in January on the lawn going six furlongs, came back to finish third in the Baffle Stakes at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course, then in March he won the Pasadena Stakes when stretched to a mile on grass.
Freedom’s Not Free is by Omaha Beach out of the Tiz Wonderful mare Wonderfuladventure. Of his three siblings to race, two have won on turf.
“We kind of thought he had a chance to be a dirt horse, but we are happy that he is what he is,” said Scott Sherwood of Blinkers On Racing, which co-owns the colt with Janlois Racing, Valinor Racing Stable, Tom Corbett, Andy Kwan and Lester Jay.
Freedom’s Not Free upped his record to 6: 3-0-2 with $178,080 in earnings. He was purchased by Blinkers On Racing for $300,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale.
Sherwood said they will now set their sights on Del Mar’s upcoming summer meet.
“You think about the Del Mar Derby and things like that. Mark thinks that he can go a bit farther,” Sherwood said. “One of the reasons we bought him in the sale is he’s got a massive stride. He covers a lot of ground. He does what he needs to do. I think a little more distance is in the wheelhouse “
Freedom’s Not Free paid $4.00, $2.80 and $2.20. Bodi Zafa, trained by John Sadler, returned $10.60 and $5.20. Incanto, trained by Peter Eurton, paid $5.20.
Live racing resumes Friday at Santa Anita with a nine-race card starting at 1 p.m. PT. Admission gates open at 11 a.m.
