Cost of Freedom breaks five-furlong track record

INGLEWOOD, Calif.- Cost of Freedom lowered the Hollywood Park track record for five furlongs to 56.14 seconds with an easy win in Saturday’s $71,706 Miles Tyson Stakes.

Cost of Freedom ($2.80) led throughout, and won by 4 1/4 lengths over Quick Enough with jockey Joe Talamo merely guiding the 7-year-old gelding through the stretch. Quick Enough finished 2 1/2 lengths in front of Square Deal, who was followed by El Scorpio.

Bamaha Breeze and Lt. Hopeful were scratched early Saturday.

The Miles Tyson Stakes was Cost of Freedom’s third stakes win of the fall at Hollywood Park, preceded by the California Cup Sprint on Oct. 30 and the Grade 3 Vernon Underwood Stakes on Nov. 25.

Trainer John Sadler said he started Cost of Freedom in Saturday’s minor stakes because he knew the gelding adored Hollywood Park’s Cushion Track synthetic surface. Cost of Freedom has won 5 of 9 starts on the surface, including the Grade 3 Los Angeles Handicap earlier this year.

Owned by Gary and Cecil Barber, Cost of Freedom has won 11 of 21 starts and $857,983. Cost of Freedom will be pointed for the $200,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint for California-breds and Florida-breds over six furlongs at Santa Anita on Jan. 29.

Cost of Freedom’s winning time lowered the previous record of 56.68 seconds set by the 2-year-old Necessary Evil in a maiden race in May 2009.