Freeman unsure which of his 2-year-old colts will run best
CYPRESS, Calif. – The first race for juveniles in Southern California, a $45,000 maiden special weight race for California-breds at Los Alamitos on Friday, drew five runners from three stables.
Trainers Ed Freeman and Patricia Harrington have two colts each, while Patricia’s husband, Mike, starts the filly Alpenhorn.
Freeman runs Eichel, by Ministers Wild Cat, and I’d Be Sad an Blue, by Square Eddie, and said he is unsure what to expect from the 2-year-olds.
“They’ve worked together every time and finished alongside each other, which means one will beat the other by 10 lengths,” Freeman said with a laugh. “It’s a bit of a guessing game.
“They’re not the best of the crop, but they’re the earliest.”
Square Eddie, the leading sire of 2-year-olds in California in 2015, is the sire of more than 20 juvenile prospects this year, Freeman said. Freeman said he has six Square Eddie 2-year-olds, while Doug O’Neill has eight in his stable and Ben Cecil has one. All of them had their early training this year with Freeman at the San Luis Rey Downs training center before some were sent to the other trainers.
Alpenhorn, trained by Mike Harrington, and Downside Up, trained by Patricia Harrington, are part of the first crop of Empire Way to race. Milton Freewater, trained by Patricia Harrington, is part of the first crop of Creative Cause to reach the races.
Mike Harrington trained Empire Way, by Empire Maker, and Creative Cause, who is by Giant’s Causeway. Creative Cause was a three-time stakes winner and was third in the 2012 Preakness Stakes.
Alpenhorn may be competitive against males, Mike Harrington said.
“She’s been working okay,” he said. “I don’t normally run fillies against colts, but she’s tough.”