Front Runnin has been displaying ‘Girl' power
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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Free Like a Girl is now likely retired and her connections would no doubt love to see her pass the baton to Front Runnin, who will attempt to win her fourth straight race Sunday in the $135,000 Astral Spa at Oaklawn Park.
The six-furlong overnight stakes is for 2-year-old fillies and closes the meet’s opening weekend. A field of 10 has signed on, led by Carolyncaroline, Debbie Doll, and Victory Music.
Free Like a Girl is the all-time richest Louisiana-bred with earnings of $2.5 million. She is currently stabled at a farm in Kentucky and has likely wrapped up her racing career as she is scheduled to be bred to Into Mischief early next year, according to her co-owner and trainer, Chasey Deville Pomier.
Front Runnin is a Kentucky-bred by War Front who is just starting out, but she’s as precocious as Free Like a Girl was when she won five races during her 2-year-old season. Front Runnin has made five starts and began her current three-race win streak while racing on dirt for the first time in a maiden special weight at Horseshoe Indianapolis. She proceeded to win a $40,000 conditioned claiming race on the main track at Keeneland before taking a second-level allowance on Nov. 29 at Delta.
“She actually reminds me a lot of Free,” Deville Pomier said. “Little bay filly, attitude. She does not like to have horses in front of her, I will say that. She actually came back fighting the other night [to] win. We ran her against the colts because it’s the only race we could get to go, and a colt kind of got in front of her and she said, ‘No, sir. I don’t think so.’
“So, it’s really funny to see because she’s kind of built like Free was her 2-year-old year. We’re kind of hoping she’ll take over.”
Front Runnin was a $3,000 purchase at auction and races for some of the same partners as Free Like a Girl, who was a $5,500 auction purchase. Gerald Bruno Jr., Carl Deville, and Deville Pomier are partners in both horses, while Kyle Deville also is a co-owner in Front Runnin. Jerry Caroom is the other partner in Free Like a Girl.
Front Runnin is out of the mare Runnin Ruby, who is a half-sister to Arkansas Derby winner Danza and Grade 1-winning millionaire Majestic Harbor.
“We broke 15 [yearlings] last year and she was kind of our favorite because of the way she acted,” Deville Pomier said.
The trainer wanted a start at Delta with Front Runnin ahead of the ship to Oaklawn as she has seen the advantage of horses coming off the surface in south Louisiana and running in Arkansas.
“If they can handle the altitude difference, they come off of there so fit,” Deville Pomier said. “I love sending them from Delta to Oaklawn because they go from the beach – they’re just so fit coming off that track. It’s sandy. It’s like running across the beach.”
Free Like a Girl ran some of her best races going from Delta to Oaklawn, where last season she was second to Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom.
“It’s literally been life-changing having her,” Deville Pomier said of Free Like a Girl. “Growing up in this business, the one thing is, ‘Oh man, I want to have a big horse.’ I’ve worked scrubbing buckets since I was a 5-year-old working in the barn. This is always what I wanted to do, and she made those dreams come true.”
Free Like a Girl won 21 races from 55 starts, with 19 of those victories in stakes.
Front Runnin on Sunday will start from post 10 under Jaime Torres.
Carolyncaroline enters off a runner-up finish in a first-level allowance sprint Oct. 31 at Churchill. Julien Leparoux has the mount from post 5 for trainer Lindsay Schultz.
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