Freedom Flyer should enjoy cutback in sprint

The one-mile distance of the Osunitas Stakes on July 22 at Del Mar caught up with Freedom Flyer in deep stretch. She was within a half-length of the lead with a furlong remaining before finishing fourth by 1 1/2 lengths.

“The last sixteenth of a mile was the end of the world for her,” trainer Leonard Powell reflected Wednesday.

Freedom Flyer has won two turf sprints in the last year and will return to an abbreviated distance in an allowance race at five furlongs on turf for fillies and mares on Friday at Del Mar.

Owned by Marsha Naify, Freedom Flyer drew the inside post in a field of seven in the fifth race on an eight-race program that begins at 3 p.m. Pacific.

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Friday’s race will be the first time Freedom Flyer has raced at five furlongs on turf since early in her career in the late summer and fall of 2020 when she finished fifth and third in maiden races for 2-year-olds.

In February, Freedom Flyer won the restricted Wishing Well Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita, leading throughout. Powell does not expect Freedom Flyer to display the same tactics Friday.

“There is a lot of speed in the race,” he said. “Hopefully, she relaxes and does well here.”

The stakes winner Sassy Nature is expected to set the pace, closely tracked by Canoodling, a graded stakes winner at Santa Anita in 2022. Canoodling set the pace in the Osunitas but faded through the final furlong to finish seventh by 2 1/4 lengths.

The allowance race field includes Honey Pants, who was 13th of 14 in the Osunitas as the 5-2 favorite but a more promising second in her California debut in the Mizdirection Stakes on the hillside turf course May 20 at Santa Anita in her first start of the year.

In 2022, Honey Pants was second or third in three consecutive turf sprint stakes for fillies and mares at Monmouth Park and Pimlico when trained by Christophe Clement.

Friday’s race will be the first start in more than nine months for Brandon’smylawyer, who has an exceptional record at five furlongs on turf. Brandon’smylawyer has won 2 of 3 starts at the distance, all at Del Mar.

While quick, Brandon’smylawyer may not have sufficient speed to keep pace with Sassy Nature, who was fourth in the Daisycutter Stakes for fillies and mares at five furlongs on turf on July 28 at Del Mar after setting the pace.

“I think she can be tactical,” trainer Peter Eurton said of Brandon’smylawyer.

Brandon’smylawyer, 4, has won 3 of 7 starts, having previously been trained by Richard Baltas and George Papaprodromou in 2021 and last year. Brandon’smylawyer joined Eurton’s stable in the spring.

“I was methodical about her and went slow,” Eurton said of Brandon’smylawyer’s return to racing.

“She seems to be an honest filly. She’s run seven times and won three of them.”

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