Marley's Freedom to be bred to Quality Road

ARCADIA, Calif. – The six-time graded stakes winner Marley’s Freedom will be bred to Quality Road this year, owner Ron Perry said on Sunday.

Marley’s Freedom won 9 of 18 starts and earned $1,233,935. Trained initially by Bob Hess Jr., and later by Bob Baffert, Marley’s Freedom won her final start in the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos last July.

By Blame, Marley’s Freedom had her best year as a 4-year-old in 2018, winning five of eight starts. She won three consecutive stakes that year, including the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga. Marley’s Freedom was later fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs in November 2018.

Perry reflected fondly on Marley’s Freedom’s racing career on Sunday.

“The trip we had the last two years was unbelievable,” said Perry, who races as Cicero Farms with his wife, Barbara.

◗ Trainer Leonard Powell was fined $500 by Santa Anita stewards after he was found to have administered an immune system medication to Big Barrel after entries were taken for the Sept. 2 program at Del Mar, according to a ruling published on Sunday. Big Barrel was withdrawn from the fifth race on Sept. 2 after he was administered the medication One Silver Solution with a nebulizer within 48 hours of a race, according to steward Kim Sawyer. Horses are not permitted to receive such treatment within 48 hours of a race.