HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Golden Kernel Racing Stable’s Yes I Am Free doubled up Saturday at Gulfstream Park, following up a triumph in the Feb. 12 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint (G3) with a narrow victory in the $100,000 Silks Run.
The Silks Run, a five-furlong dash for older horses on turf, was featured on Saturday’s program, along with the $100,000 Any Limit, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies, and the $100,000 Hutcheson, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds.
Yes I Am Free ($14.20) broke sharply to chase Warrior’s Pride, who set fractions of 21.15 and 43.92 for a half mile, before kicking past the tiring pacesetter at the top of the stretch and holding off a late inside bid by Belgrano. The Laura Cazares-trained 6-year-old gelding ran five furlongs over a first turf course in 56.23 seconds under Emisael Jaramillo to prevail by a neck.
“It was just how it played out. We had a couple of plans so if this happens, we can do this or if that happens, we can do that – kind of a guide,” said Cazares, who notched her first graded-stakes success with Yes I Am Free’s Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint win. “The rest is Jaramillo and [the horse]. He’s got the key.”
Claimed for $62,500 out of a victory in a five-furlong optional claiming allowance on turf at Gulfstream April 16, the son of Uncaptured won his ninth career race and boosted his career earning over $420,000.
“Laura and her staff have done a wonderful job with this horse. They take such good care of the horses. I think they take better care of their horses than some people take care of their kids,” said John Szalay, an Ohio sweet corn farmer who owns Yes I Am Free with his wife, Joanne.
Arrest Me Red, the even-money favorite, rallied late to finish third, three-quarters of a length behind Belgrano.
Gulfstream Park Press Release
Photo: Yes I Am Free (Lauren King Photo)
