Catching Freedom snatches first Derby points of the year in Smarty Jones

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Catching Freedom struck first on Oaklawn Park’s road to the Kentucky Derby on Monday, when he put in a determined run through the stretch to win the $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes by 2 1/2 lengths over Just Steel. It was another neck back in third to Informed Patriot.

The race was the first Kentucky Derby points race of 2024 and also the first race in Oaklawn’s series for 3-year-olds that continues with the Southwest, Rebel, and Arkansas Derby.

Catching Freedom picked up 10 points for the Kentucky Derby on Monday, while Just Steel earned 5; Informed Patriot, 3; fourth-place finisher Gettysburg Address, 2; and fifth-place finisher Mystik Dan, 1.

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Catching Freedom ($5.40) was making the third start of his career and was favored for the third time. He had one horse, Gettysburg Address, beat in the early stages after the stablemate was squeezed back at the start. Lagynos jumped out to the lead and set a pressured pace, taking the field through an opening quarter in 23.02 seconds, a half-mile in 47.01 and six furlongs in 1:12.20. Catching Freedom advanced on the final turn, came five wide into the stretch, and ran down new leader Just Steel.

“He's a nice horse, obviously," said winning trainer Brad Cox. "He was a touch green. He’s still looking around. He’s figuring it out.”

Catching Freedom covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:44.59. Cristian Torres was aboard the son of Constitution for Albaugh Family Stables.

“He’s shown ability, has the pedigree to be a good horse,” Cox said. “He’s a half-brother to Bishops Bay, a nice horse for us. Hopefully, he’ll continue on. I’m not sure where we go from here. We’ll bring him back to Fair Grounds to train him. He could very well return to Oaklawn. We’ll talk to the Albaugh family and make decisions.”

Catching Freedom was a $575,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland in September of 2022. He is from the stakes-winning mare Catch My Drift. Bishops Bay established himself as a 3-year-old of note last year, when he ran second to eventual Belmont Stakes winner Archangelo in the Peter Pan.

Cox was winning the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn for the third time, following a 2023 score with Victory Formation and a 2021 win with Caddo River. He’s also won two runnings of the Smarty Jones run in the fall at Parx. The races are named for the Pennsylvania-bred who wintered at Oaklawn in 2004 and went on to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

The race Monday was the first Smarty Jones win for Torres, who won last season’s riding title at Oaklawn. Catching Freedom used closing tactics to capture a maiden special weight in a one-turn mile in his debut in October at Churchill Downs. In his only other start ahead of the Smarty Jones, he closed for fourth in a two-turn allowance at Churchill on Nov. 9.

“In his two races, he’s a horse that hasn’t shown much early speed,” Torres told the publicity department at Oaklawn. “He just runs them down at the end. We were able to have great trip. I saved all the ground the first part of the race. As soon as I got him out, he exploded like he always does.”

The Smarty Jones was previously run at a mile, a race that ends at the sixteenth pole at Oaklawn. In another change this season, it received a purse boost of $50,000.

Catching Freedom has now won 2 of 3 starts. The first-place check of $162,000 pushed his career earnings to $237,350.

The Smarty Jones was held on a special Monday card on a cold but sunny afternoon. Attendance was an estimated 6,500 and handle from all sources topped $7 million, according to figures from Oaklawn.

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