Catching Freedom found the daylight he needed in the stretch and won the $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park on New Year’s Day.
With Oaklawn’s leading rider (in 2023) Cristian Torres aboard for trainer Brad Cox, Catching Freedom ($5.40 for a $2 win bet) lived up to his 8-5 favoritism in the field of nine newly turned 3-year-olds.
Sitting in fifth around the final turn in the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Derby points qualifier, Torres guided the son of Constitution outside of the leaders, Mystik Dan, Lagynos, and Just Steel, and cruised to victory by 2 ½ lengths over Just Steel, trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas.
Catching Freedom earned 10 Derby qualifying points, while Just Steel picked up 5, Informed Patriot three for third, Gettysburg Address 2 for fourth, and Mystik Dan 1 for fifth.
“He’s a nice horse. In his two races, he’s a horse that hasn’t shown much early speed,’’ Torres said. “He just runs them down at the end.”
Winning time over a fast track was 1:44.59.
The win was a big one for Torres, an up-and-comer beginning his sixth year as a jockey. In 2
023, he was Oaklawn’s leading rider with 100 wins, and won a pair of Grade 2s and five Grade 3s – the first graded stakes win of his career.
While the Smarty Jones is not graded, Torres may have himself a Derby contender for a first chance at a Run for the Roses. The next step on the Arkansas road to the Derby is the Southwest (G3) on Jan. 27.
“It would be a dream for the whole family to get into the Derby,’’ Torres said. “I want to thank Brad Cox for putting me on one of his top 3-year-olds.”
Cox, who also trains Gettysburg Address Informed Patriot and last-place finisher Fidget, won the Smarty Jones for the third time in the last four years.
“Very proud of the horse. I think he’s still learning. I think he was a little green there down the lane, but overall showed that he does have a lot of stamina and talent,’’ Cox said. “I thought he stepped up and ran well against a solid group of 3-year-olds.”
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
