Marley's Freedom to Face Stiff F&M Sprint Competition
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Photo: Gary Tasich
With the loss of undefeated Dream Tree because of an entrapped epiglottis, Marley's Freedom became the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the Nov. 3 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Churchill Downs.
The 4-year-old daughter of Blame , bred in Kentucky by Jack Swain III and now raced by Ron and Barbara Perry's Cicero Farms, is rolling into the World Championships with four consecutive victories, which include three graded stakes.
Trainer Bob Hess Jr. got Marley's Freedom to the winner's circle first when she broke her maiden in her third career start in September 2017. Two races later, she trounced an allowance field at Del Mar by 4 1/4 lengths. When it came to stakes, however, the filly didn't become competitive until she ran second in the Santa Monica Stakes (G2) March 24 of this year at Santa Anita Park.
Marley's Freedom went back to allowance company and won, but a trainer change was in the works. She was transferred to Bob Baffert, who promptly strung together victories in the Desert Stormer Stakes (G3) by 7 1/4 lengths, the Great Lady M Stakes (G2) by 1 1/2 lengths, and the Ketel One Ballerina Stakes (G1) by 3 1/4 lengths.
Her final prep for the Breeders' Cup was Oct. 27 at Santa Anita, where she went four furlongs in a bullet :47 flat alongside workmate Super Sol. They posted the fastest of 53 drills at the distance that averaged :48.88.
Baffert told Xpressbet TV's Zoe Cadman that he almost raced Marley's Freedom a couple of weeks ago so he wouldn't have to work her as much heading into the Filly & Mare Sprint. Otherwise, he said, the filly, who will start from post 13, is in top form.
"You still need racing luck," Baffert said. "The draw is so important in all these races because of the large fields."
Marley's Freedom will face plenty of competition, including Selcourt, Golden Mischief, and Shamrock Rose, who are all coming to the Breeders' Cup with three consecutive stakes wins.
Selcourt, trained by John Sadler for Medallion Racing, Keith Abrahams, and Sandra Lazaruk, won three straight stakes at the start of the year but hasn't raced since her score in the March 24 Santa Monica Stakes, where she beat Marley's Freedom by 4 1/2 lengths. The 4-year-old Tiz Wonderful filly breezed five furlongs solo Oct. 27 in 1:00 2/5.
Golden Mischief, a 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief raced by Juddmonte Farms, comes into the Breeders' Cup off a win in the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2), in which she earned an Equibase Speed Figure of 111.
Shamrock Rose, a 3-year-old daughter of First Dude raced by Conrad Farms and trained by Mark Casse, has won two stakes at a mile or more but comes into the Breeders' Cup with a last-out stakes win at the Filly & Mare Sprint distance of seven furlongs. She won the Lexus Raven Run Stakes (G2) Oct. 20 at Keeneland under meet leader Tyler Gaffalione.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, November 03, 2018, Race 3Entries: Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Selcourt (KY)
Tyler Baze
124
John W. Sadler
4/1
2
2Miss Sunset (CA)
Kent J. Desormeaux
124
Jeff Bonde
15/1
3
3Happy Like a Fool (KY)
Luis Saez
122
Wesley A. Ward
20/1
4
4Kirby's Penny (KY)
John R. Velazquez
124
Wesley A. Ward
30/1
5
5Golden Mischief (KY)
Florent Geroux
124
Brad H. Cox
10/1
6
6Chalon (KY)
Javier Castellano
124
Arnaud Delacour
15/1
7
7Skye Diamonds (CA)
Tiago Josue Pereira
124
William Spawr
10/1
8
8Mia Mischief (KY)
Ricardo Santana, Jr.
122
Steven M. Asmussen
15/1
9
9Stormy Embrace (FL)
Tyler Gaffalione
124
Kathleen O'Connell
20/1
10
10Highway Star (NY)
Jose L. Ortiz
124
Rodrigo A. Ubillo
20/1
11
11Finley'sluckycharm (KY)
Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.
124
W. Bret Calhoun
10/1
12
12Anonymity (KY)
Flavien Prat
124
Richard E. Mandella
15/1
13
13Marley's Freedom (KY)
Mike E. Smith
124
Bob Baffert
8/5
14
14Shamrock Rose (PA)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
122
Mark E. Casse
20/1
15
15Dream Pauline (KY)
Joel Rosario
122
Kiaran P. McLaughlin
30/1
