In theory, the Kentucky Derby (G1) marks the first time a 3-year-old will race at the mile-and-a-quarter distance.
That may not be the case for Albaugh Family Stables’ Catching Freedom .
In winning the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2), the son of Constitution not only won the longest American Kentucky Derby prep. A point can also be made that in traveling about eight-wide on the final turn of a mile-and-a-three-sixteenths stakes and surging to a one-length, last-to-first victory, Catching Freedom may already have a 1 1/4-mile race under his belt.
“What a finish,” said Jason Loutsch, a member of the Albaugh ownership group and racing manager for the stable. “To race that wide and still finish like that, amazing. He had to cover a ton of ground.”
A rallying third in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) at 1 1/8 miles in his previous start for trainer Brad Cox, Catching Freedom assured his connections of a spot in the May 4 $5 million Kentucky Derby field by picking up 100 qualifying points for his victory in the March 23 test at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. He now tops the leaderboard with 125 points after the second of eight preps with a 100-point payoff for the winner.
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For the connections, the victory brought back memories of a year earlier when Cox and the Albaugh family sent out the Run for the Roses favorite in Angel of Empire but had to settle for a third-place finish.
“We’re so excited to get back to the Kentucky Derby with another horse who should be a major player,” Loutsch said. “I hope he comes back well and if he does, it will be an exciting six weeks.”
The victory was the third in five starts for the colt bred by WinStar Farm, out of the grade 1-placed Pioneerof the Nile mare Catch My Drift , who was sold for $575,000 from the Warrendale Sales consignment at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
A half brother to grade 3-placed Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo ), he is the fourth of seven foals from Catch My Drift, who also has 2-year-old filly by Improbable and a yearling Not This Time filly.
Race Details
Two starts back, Catching Freedom rallied from eighth in a field of nine to take the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park, but Saturday’s journey was far more adventurous. Catching Freedom and jockey Flavien Prat were last on the backstretch in the field of 11 behind a moderate :48.33 half-mile pace before they launched their wide trip to the winner’s circle.
“I wanted to cry on the backside. It was awful. He was dead last,” Cox said. “It turned out to be a big performance. He’s bred for a mile and a quarter and I think he showed today that he can do it.”
As expected, 2-1 favorite Track Phantom set the pace in the Louisiana Derby, leading by about a length through an opening quarter of :23.49 and six furlongs in 1:12.54 on the fast track.
He was chased early by Common Defense , but the biggest threats came from the rear of the pack.
While maiden winner Tuscan Gold pressured the leader from third on the turn, the drama was unfolding in the center of the racetrack where Catching Freedom and Honor Marie were circling into contention on the far outside from 11th and ninth, respectively, after six furlongs.
Track Phantom, who was hustled to the lead from post 12, still led at the eighth pole but was shortening stride as Catching Freedom and Honor Marie surged past him with a sixteenth left and battled to the wire with the 3-1 second choice ($8.60) prevailing in 1:56.16.
“We were last and I thought we had no chance,” Loutsch said.
Derby Standings
Honor Marie, an Honor Code colt owned by Ribble Farms, Michael Eiserman, Earl Silver, and Kenneth and Daniel Fishbein, took second by three-quarters of a length over Tuscan Gold and punched his ticket to the Kentucky Derby through 50 qualifying points. Winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes(G2) at Churchill Downs at 2, he is sixth on the leaderboard with 65 points and is poised to give trainer Whit Beckman, a former Chad Brown assistant, his first Run for the Roses starter.
Speaking of Brown, his starter, William Lawrence, Walmac Farm, and Stonestreet Stables’ Tuscan Gold picked up 25 points. That was the first batch of points for the son of Medaglia d’Oro who was making his third career start and seems unlikely to remain in the top 20 without another race.
Track Phantom gained 15 points for finishing fourth and with a total of 70 points (third on the leaderboard) has more than enough to run in the opening leg of the Triple Crown if his connections are willing.
Common Defense finished fifth and added 10 points. With 37 points, good for 12th on the list, he is in a tenuous spot in the race for 20 spots in the first Saturday in May classic.
As for Catching Freedom, that, and something else, may not be a concern.
“You never know until he runs (the mile-and-a-quarter distance),” Prat said about the added 110 yards of the Kentucky Derby, “but it seems like he’ll handle it.”
Maybe he already has.
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