Marley's Freedom in sharp form for Great Lady M. Stakes

CYPRESS, Calif. – Drayden Van Dyke spent the spring getting to know the sprint filly Marley’s Freedom.

Van Dyke rode Marley’s Freedom three times from late March to late May, a series of races ending with an easy win by 7 1/4 lengths in the Grade 3 Desert Stormer Stakes at Santa Anita.

“That was her best race, by far,” Van Dyke said.

Van Dyke is expecting an encore in Saturday’s Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes for fillies and mares at Los Alamitos. The $200,000 Great Lady M. Stakes is run at 6 1/2 furlongs and is the richest race of the track’s three-week summer meeting.

Marley’s Freedom was 9-10 in the Desert Stormer and will probably be as short of a price in the Great Lady M., which drew a field of five. The field includes Skye Diamonds, who won the 2017 Great Lady M., and three fillies yet to win a stakes – Best of Me, Phantom Proton, and Turkish Tabby.

Temperatures likely are going to be near triple digits at the track, only five miles from the Pacific Ocean. Eight of the nine races Saturday have five- or six-horse fields.

KEY CONTENDERS

Marley’s Freedom, by Blame
Last 3 Beyers: 105-96-96

◗ Owned by Cicero Farms, Marley’s Freedom is trained by Bob Baffert, her third trainer in the last 18 months. A 4-year-old, Marley’s Freedom was transferred from Bob Hess Jr. to Baffert shortly after winning an allowance race with a $62,500 claiming option at six furlongs on April 20.

“She acts like a really nice horse,” Baffert said on Wednesday.

◗ In the Desert Stormer at six furlongs, Marley’s Freedom was fourth in the opening quarter-mile, reached contention with a wide move, and led by three lengths with a furlong remaining.

“Hopefully, she’ll run like that again,” Van Dyke said. “If she does, she’ll dust the field.”

◗ Marley’s Freedom won her first stakes in the Desert Stormer and could develop into a contender for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3. The next objective is Saturday’s race, where she will start from post 4.

“She drew a good post,” he said. “I can let her do her thing.”

Skye Diamonds, by First Dude
Last 3 Beyers: 74-94-99

◗ Skye Diamonds was in peak form when she won this race last year. She later won the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar and was fourth in the BC Filly and Mare Sprint there last November.

◗ This year, Skye Diamonds is winless in three starts. She was third in the Grade 3 Las Flores and Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita and a well-beaten sixth on a wet-fast track in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 5 when ridden by Mike Smith.

“Mike got off of her and said she was sliding on the track,” trainer Bill Spawr said. “We can throw that race out.”

Tiago Pereira will ride Sky Diamonds. Pereira has ridden Skye Diamonds in 12 of her 20 starts.