Tag: Albaugh Family Stables

Catching Freedom, Tarifa Work At Churchill Downs For Cox

Albaugh Family Stable's GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby winner Catching Freedom (Constitution) began his preparations for the GI Kentucky Derby with a half-mile move in :48.40 early Friday morning at Churchill Downs, the track said in a release.

Trained by Brad Cox, the 3-year-old worked at 5:30 a.m. ET with exercise rider Edvin Vargas in the saddle. The duo cruised through an opening quarter-mile in :24 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.20.

“He's settled in nicely since we shipped him back to Churchill from Fair Grounds,” Cox said. “He was impressive closing from that far back in the Louisiana Derby and I think the longer stretch at Churchill plus the mile-and-a-quarter should only help him in the Derby.”

About two hours after Catching Freedom completed his work, stablemate and 'TDN Rising Star' Tarifa (Bernardini)–winner of the GII Fair Grounds Oaks–began her preparations for the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks with a half-mile breeze in :49.20.

As of Friday, three other Derby contenders were on the grounds at Churchill Downs: Endlessly (Oscar Performance), Honor Marie (Honor Code) and Track Phantom (Quality Road).

Endlessly is slated to work Saturday while Honor Marie and Track Phantom have scheduled works on Sunday.

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Constitution’s Catching Freedom Stylish in Smarty Jones Win

Albaugh Family Stables' Catching Freedom, the 8-5 favorite, kicked off his sophomore campaign in style with a late-running victory in the Smarty Jones S. at Oaklawn Park Monday. Favored for his third-straight start, the bay colt was unhurried early Monday and settled well off the pace behind fractions of :23.02 and :47.01. He inched closer along the rail on the far turn, tipped out for running room approaching the stretch and rolled up four wide into the lane. Just to his inside off the turn was Just Steel (Justify), who grabbed command at midstretch, while Catching Freedom dawdled while racing greenly in the center of the track. Catching Freedom straightened out and quickened powerfully to inhale Just Steel late and strode clear to a two-length victory. He completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.59 and earned 10 points towards a berth in the GI Kentucky Derby.

“Very proud of the horse,” said winning trainer Brad Cox. “I think he's still learning. I think he was a little green there down the lane, but overall showed that he does have a lot of stamina and talent. I thought he stepped up and ran well against a solid group of 3-year-olds.”

A $575,000 Keeneland September yearling, Catching Freedom debuted with a 3 3/4-length victory going one mile at Churchill Oct. 1 and was coming off a troubled fourth-place effort behind 'TDN Rising Star' Parchment Party (Constitution) in a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer in Louisville Nov. 9. He is a half-brother to last year's GII Ohio Derby runner-up Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo). A 62nd stakes winner for Constitution, Catching Freedom is out of GISP Catch My Drift, purchased for $400,000 at FTKNOV by WinStar back in 2015. Her 2-year-old Improbable filly brought $385,000 from Centennial Farms at last year's Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Select Yearling Sale and she reported a filly by Not This Time last year and was not reported bred for 2024. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

SMARTY JONES S., $300,000, Oaklawn, 1-1, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.59, ft.
1–CATCHING FREEDOM, 117, c, 3, by Constitution
                1st Dam: Catch My Drift (SW & GISP, $280,540),
                                by Pioneerof the Nile
                2nd Dam: Drift to the Lead, by Yonaguska
                3rd Dam: Drifa, by Tabasco Cat
($575,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Albaugh
Family Stables LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox;
J-Cristian A. Torres. $162,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0,
$237,350. *1/2 to Strava (Into Mischief), MSP, $347,623;
1/2 to Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo), MGSP, $212,600.
2–Just Steel, 119, c, 3, Justify–Irish Lights (Aus), by Fastnet Rock
(Aus). ($500,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-BC Stables, LLC;
B-Summerhill Farm (KY); T-D. Wayne Lukas. $54,000.
3–Informed Patriot, 117, c, 3, Hard Spun–Yawkey Way, by
Grand Slam. ($90,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-J. Kirk and Judy
Robison; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds LTD & Whisper Hill Farm
(KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $27,000.
Margins: 2HF, NK, NK. Odds: 1.70, 4.50, 10.40.
Also Ran: Gettysburg Address, Mystik Dan, Lagynos, Mo Winning, Chaperone, Fidget.

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Angel of Empire Gearing Up for 4-Year-Old Campaign – ‘We’re Expecting a Big Year From Him’

Angel of Empire (Classic Empire), a powerful winner of this spring's GI Arkansas Derby and a rallying third as the favorite in the GI Kentucky Derby, has returned to training at WinStar Training Center and is expected to rejoin trainer Brad Cox at either Fair Grounds or Oaklawn Park within the next month.

The Albaugh Family Stables colorbearer was given a freshening after concluding his six-race sophomore campaign with a dead-heat fourth-place finish in the GI Belmont S. June 10 and a close third-place finish in a roughly run renewal of the GII Jim Dandy S. in the slop at Saratoga July 29. Angel of Empire was also a come-from-behind winner of the GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds Feb. 18.

“The Triple Crown is a big ask to get through all those races and he never really had a break since he started,” Albaugh Family Stable's General Manager Jason Loutsch said.

“We try to listen to our horses. After the Jim Dandy, he came back and you could tell he had enough. We did the right thing–we obviously would've liked to press on and make the Breeders' Cup–but we gave him some time and thought that he could have a really big 4-year-old season. We're excited to get him going. I think he'll be one of the top handicap horses next year if he continues to go forward. He's doing really well right now.”

Angel of Empire, one of four graded winners for young sire Classic Empire, is the first foal out of the 7-year-old To Honor and Serve mare Armony's Angel, who brought $1.8 million from Katsumi Yoshida while in foal to Gun Runner at last month's Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

Bred in Pennsylvania by Forgotten Land Investment Inc. and Black Diamond Equine Corp., Angel of Empire was purchased by Dennis Albaugh's operation for just $70,000 during the eighth session of the Keeneland September Yearling sale. He previously RNA'd for $32,000 as a Keeneland November weanling.

“He'll get a start around March or so and we'll probably target something on (Kentucky) Derby Day,” Loutsch said. “The end goal would be to try to get to the Breeders' Cup.”

Loutsch concluded, “He's such a cool horse and he tries hard every time. He deserved the time off and we're expecting a big year from him.”

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Constitution Colt Bottles Victory On Debut At Churchill

4th-Churchill Downs, $120,000, Msw, 10-1, 2yo, 1m, 1:36.58, ft, 3 3/4 lengths.
CATCHING FREEDOM (c, 2, Constitution–Catch My Drift {SW & GISP, $280,540}, by Pioneerof the Nile) was well-backed for this one-turn mile debut as the even-money favorite here. Situated midfield, the hooded bay colt chased the pace up set by Cash Only (Street Sense) up the backstretch, came under a ride by tipping to the outside around the far turn and showing steady progress at the eighth pole, Catching Freedom graduated by 3 3/4 lengths over the leader. The winner is a half-brother to Strava (Into Mischief), MSP, $346,130 and Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo), MGSP, $212,600. Catch My Drift also produced a yearling filly by Improbable and May 13 she foaled a filly by Not This Time. Sales History: $575,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $69,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.

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