Marley's Freedom outlasts Come Dancing in Go for Wand

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The loss by Marley’s Freedom in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint still irks trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Mike Smith.

They got a little consolation Saturday as Marley’s Freedom prevailed in a stretch-long drive to defeat Come Dancing by a neck in the Grade 3, $250,000 Go for Wand Handicap at Aqueduct. It was 6 3/4 lengths back to Pacific Wind in third.

A bad break and wide trip is what Smith believes cost Marley’s Freedom in the Breeders’ Cup, in which she finished fourth, beaten a half-length by Shamrock Rose, in a race that may have cost Marley’s Freedom a shot at an Eclipse Award as champion female sprinter.

Breaking from the inside on Saturday, Smith put Marley’s Freedom into the race, just off of Brose, after an opening quarter-mile, posted in 25.27 seconds.

Marley’s Freedom poked her head in front at the three-furlong marker, but Come Dancing, under John Velazquez, crept up alongside at the five-sixteenths pole to set up a stirring stretch battle.

Come Dancing poked a head in front at the top of the lane, but Smith, going to his left-handed stick, got Marley’s Freedom going again and was able to prevail at the wire.

It was Marley’s Freedom’s first try at a mile, a distance she covered in a final time posted at 1:38.35, with a final quarter of 25.01 seconds. It was her fifth win from eight starts and fourth graded stakes victory - including the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga - in 2018.

It was 6 3/4 lengths back to Pacific Wind, who was followed by Bonita Bianca, Your Love, and Browse. Sower and Tigalalu were scratched.
Marley’s Freedom, a 4-year-old daughter of Blame owned by Barbara and Ron Perry’s Cicero Farms, returned $3.10 as the favorite.

“Today was first time going a mile, she took a breath of air and once she got that second wind she locked in and she wasn’t going to let them by no matter what,” Smith said.

Come Dancing had shown speed in her previous three starts, but Velazquez said he told trainer Carlos Martin he wanted to come from off the pace Saturday.

“I think it worked out, the other horse was just a little better than us today,” Velazquez said. “I thought I had her from the three-eighth pole; I’m next to him I said I think I got him. He’s already kind of getting after his filly, I got to the quarter pole, I put my head right in front of his I said ‘well, I got him.’ The other horse come back.”

Baffert, who watched the race from California, said he was happy to get the victory but still lamented the loss in the Breeders’ Cup.

“She is a good filly,” Baffert said. “I’m still sick about the Breeders’ Cup. That mare, you’re going to hear a lot about her next year.”

Baffert said Marley’s Freedom would ship back to Southern California on Tuesday.