Cost of Freedom eyes Sunshine Millions Sprint

Cost of Freedom has to switch venues for his next race, regardless of whether his team likes it.

After winning three consecutive stakes at Hollywood Park in the fall, including the minor Miles Tyson Stakes in track-record time on Saturday, Cost of Freedom will make his next start at Santa Anita in January.

Cost of Freedom transfers from a synthetic main track he adores at Hollywood Park to a new clay-and-sand track at Santa Anita. Cost of Freedom, 7, was scheduled to be moved to Santa Anita on Monday, with the bulk of trainer John Sadler’s runners. The Santa Anita meeting begins Dec. 26, and Cost of Freedom’s first objective will be the $200,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint for California-breds and Florida-breds on Jan. 29.

“We don’t know if he’ll like that track,” Sadler said.

Chances are Cost of Freedom will adapt. He won on a conventional dirt track at Del Mar at 3 and has handled a variety of synthetic tracks in Southern California in recent years.

In the five-furlong Miles Tyson Stakes, he led throughout under jockey Joe Talamo, finishing 4 1/4 lengths in front of Quick Enough in 56.14 seconds.

Cost of Freedom did not have a workout between his win in the Grade 3 Vernon Underwood Stakes on Nov. 25 and the Miles Tyson because Sadler did not think the gelding needed one.

“I just galloped him into it,” he said. “He was bright coming out of the last race.”

There will be ample time for a conventional preparation to the Sunshine Millions Sprint.

“I’ve got six weeks to the next race,” Sadler said.