BERKELEY, Calif.—5-year-old gelding Freeport Joe sat off a wicked fast-pace before closing on the outside and passing a handful of rivals to take down the 2022 edition of the $100,000 All American Stakes for 3-year-olds and upward at one mile on Tapeta on Monday afternoon at Golden Gate Fields.
Under regular rider Assael Espinoza, Freeport Joe sat well behind blazing fast fractions of 22.35, 45.60 and 1:10.46 seconds. The Kentucky-bred son of English Channel began a move midway on the far turn before swinging for home while remaining in the clear. He mustered up a rally on the outside of rivals and eventually wore down runner up finisher Navy Armed Guard, the defending champion of this race last year, and third place finisher Dicey Mo Chara. Freeport Joe hit the wire a half-length in front of the runner up finisher and stopped the clock for one mile on Tapeta in 1:36.40 seconds.
Sent off at odds of 8-1, Freeport Joe returned $18.00 to win, $9.20 to place and $5.00 to show. Navy Armed Guard paid $11.00 to place and $6.20 to show while Dicey Mo Chara rounded out the trifecta and returned $5.00 to show.
Freeport Joe, who won the Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap over the Golden Gare Tapeta on November of last year, sports 6 wins, 1 second and 3 third place finishes from 11 starts over the aforementioned surface. In his lifetime, Freeport Joe has won 7 races, finished as the runner up twice, and completed the trifecta 4 times from 18 career starts. With the All-American victory, Freeport Joe increased his career earnings to $255,824. Freeport Joe is owned by Larry Odbert and trained by Northern California conditioner Gloria Haley.
Live racing at Golden Gate resumes on Friday afternoon with an 8-race program. First post is 1:15 PM PT. The Winter/Spring meet at Golden Gate concludes in two weeks-Sunday, June 12-and will feature mandatory payouts on closing day of the meet.
Matt Dinnerman/Golden Gate Fields
Freeport Joe wins the $100,000 Guaranteed All American Stake, ridden by Assael Espinoza, trained by Gloria and owned by Larry Odbert, the one-mile race went in 1:36.40 (Vassar Photography)
