Woodbine: Soaring Free overcomes poor start

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Favored Soaring Free overcame a troubled start at Woodbine to capture the Grade 3 , a major prep for the Grade 1 Atto Mile on Sept. 19.

Soaring Free sat off the dueling front-runners, Bachelor Blues and Cat Genius, through fractions of 22.59 and 45.33 seconds in the seven-furlong turf dash. He took control early in the stretch, and then turned back bids from two 40-1 shots, Dancin Joey and Frank's Selection, to prevail by three-quarters of a length.

Frank's Selections overcame a brutal trip to be second, two lengths clear of Dancin Joey. Super Case was fourth in the 12-horse field. The final time, over a course labeled good, was 1:20.97.

Soaring Free stumbled at the break and was impeded, according to jockey Todd Kabel, who won four races on the card.

"He got bumped hard leaving the gate," said Kabel. "I was a little concerned that he got stepped on, because he wasn't extending himself like he normally does coming away from there, but it all worked out well. He ran another great race."

Soaring Free ($3.20) earned $104,040 of the $173,400 purse for Sam-Son Farm and trainer Mark Frostad.