Secured Freedom gets first stakes win in the Affirmed

Secured Freedom, unsuccessful in three graded stakes at Santa Anita and Churchill Downs earlier this year, rallied from fourth in the final half-mile to win his first stakes in the $101,000 Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita on Monday, the closing day of the track’s spring meeting.

Sent off favored, Secured Freedom ($4.60) was confidently handled by jockey Joel Rosario, who rode the colt for the first time. Secured Freedom ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.32.

Secured Freedom was fifth and then fourth on the backstretch, racing in pursuit of early leader Mo Koko who set early fractions of 22.47 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.45 for a half-mile. Mo Koko was unable to sustain the advantage, yielding the lead to Decisive Win on the turn.

Secured Freedom closed from fourth at the end of the backstretch to challenge the leaders. Secured Freedom took the lead in early stretch and won by 1 3/4 lengths over 11-1 One More Freud, who closed from fifth on the backstretch.

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Constitution Andi (35-1) finished third, followed by Decisive Win, Litmus Test, Mo Koko, and Court of Appeal.

Decisive Win was the 2-1 second choice on the strength of a victory by 5 1/2 lengths at a mile in a maiden race at Santa Anita on May 22, his second start.

Litmus Test (5-2) was supplemented to the Affirmed for $2,000 when entries were taken on Friday. Trained by Bob Baffert, Litmus Test was 17th in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 2. Litmus Test won the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity last December.

Secured Freedom raced without blinkers for the first time in the Affirmed. Trained by Tim Yakteen for Pierre and Leslie Amestoy and Roger Beasley, Secured Freedom has won 2 of 6 starts and earned $160,150.

Secured Freedom, who is by Practical Joke, won a maiden race at Santa Anita on Dec. 28 in his second start. Earlier this year, Secured Freedom finished third in the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes in February, fourth in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes in March, and fourth in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs on May 2.

“He’s late developing mentally,” Yakteen said in the winner’s circle. “We took the blinkers off and he had a strong pace to run at. Joel took advantage of all of that.”

The Affirmed Stakes was originally scheduled for Thursday, June 11, but was delayed until Monday after the second half of the June 11 program was canceled because of power issues at the track.

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