Northlands star Freedoms Traveller out for season

Canadian Derby winner Freedoms Traveller will take the rest of the year off to recover from a hairline fracture in his left front ankle, according to trainer Lianne Knechtel. Freedoms Traveller was being pointed to the $50,000 Beaufort Stakes Sept. 17, and he would have been a prohibitive favorite and the star of the seven stakes races restricted to Alberta-breds on Fall Classic Day.

“It is the tiniest fracture and you can barely see it on the X-ray,” said Knechtel. “I was walking him in the shed row and he took a funny step, so I had him checked out. If you didn’t know it was there you wouldn’t know anything was bothering him.”

Knechtel said that no surgery would be required.

“Just some rest should be all he needs,” said Knechtel. “There are plenty of races for him to run in next year.”

Freedoms Traveller, who was an impressive 5 1/4-length winner over Northern Indy in the Grade 3, $300,000 Canadian Derby Aug. 20, earned $234,100 for his three wins this year. He is bred and owned by Randy and Donna Feddema and is a leading candidate for local horse of the year honors.

Claresmiezie good for Sorority

Trainer Greg Tracy reported that Claresmiezie is coming up to the $100,000 Sorority Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Monmouth this Monday in great shape. Claresmiezie won the Princess Margaret by over 15 lengths at Northlands in her last start.

Channing Hill will ride Claresmiezie in the Sorority, and according to Tracy, Hill was impressed when he worked Claresmiezie five furlongs in 1:02.80 at Monmouth last Tuesday.

“She went slow early and finished strong,” said Tracy. “He liked the way she did it.”

◗ Sunday’s feature is a $7,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds going 6 1/2 furlongs. The Red Ron Farms entry of Green Alert and Wainwright figure to attract a lot of attention in the eight-horse field. They are trained by Red Smith.