Free as a Bird overcomes trouble in Smart N Fancy

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Turning into the stretch of Monday’s $100,000 Smart N Fancy Stakes under Joel Rosario, Free as a Bird was trapped along the rail. There was no room, nowhere to go.

“I thought I had no shot,” trainer Ian Wilkes said. “We’re buried. We’re done.”

There was little reason for optimism inside the eighth pole when Free as a Bird was steadied again. But in the blink of an eye, Rosario got Free as a Bird off the hedge, and they were able to split horses and burst through a hole. Despite time and ground running out, Free as a Bird lengthened her stride and got to the wire first by a neck in a blanket finish.

In a race where the top nine finishers were separated by four lengths, Kune Kune, a 35-1 shot, got second by a head over Speedinthruthecity, who nosed out Quay for third. Stars Above Me, the 2-1 favorite who couldn’t find room in the stretch, finished ninth, beaten only four lengths.

The win was the fourth straight for Free as a Bird, the fifth from seven starts this year, and seventh from 20 career starts. She has won four consecutive $100,000 turf sprint stakes, two at Belmont and two at Saratoga.

“She’s into a nice rhythm," said Wilkes, who trains Free as a Bird for Elizabeth Valando. "This filly is unbelievably confident. Horses know when they win, they got that demeanor about them, and this filly is very confident about what she’s doing at the moment. There’s an air of confidence about her, and that’s different than last year.”

She needed every bit of her confidence - and her talent - to overcome the traffic she encountered. Rosario had Free as a Bird well off the pace and he had to stay inside and wait for room. He steadied her at least twice in the stretch before finding room.

“That was quick," said Rosario, who won three races on Monday’s card. "The wire was coming. She had a good turn of foot. She sees horses in front of her, she’s coming after them. I give her a lot of credit today.”

Watching the replay on the infield board, Wilkes just nodded his head.

“Amazing, just speechless on that race,” he said. “Just an amazing performance. I thought we were going to run a good third or fourth and she won.”

Free as a Bird, a 5-year-old daughter of Hard Spun, covered the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:02.04 over firm turf and returned $8.60.