Golden Kernel Racing Stable's Yes I Am Free went right to the front and was in control throughout Saturday at Gulfstream Park on his way to successfully defend his title in the $125,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint (G3).
Yes I Am Free ($8.60) shot out of the starting gate and showed the way during a half-mile on fractions of :21.75 and :44.33 with Caratori and Shekky Shebaz in pursuit. The Laura Cazares-trained 7-year-old gelding continued on to score a half-length decision over a determined Carotari. The son of Uncaptured ran five-furlongs in :55.71 over a firm turf while making quick work of his title defense under Miguel Vasquez.
“We kind of had two ways that we were thinking it would play out: Get out, go to the lead, try to get to the rail and save some ground; get the lead and keep the lead. Or, if anybody else kind of wanted to go out in front, hang back a little bit, let the speed go and make a closing move.” Cazares said. “I told Miguel, 'Do what you need to do. You know how the race is going to play out there. I don't want to tell you too much. These are our two game plans and go with whichever one.'”
Carotari, the 7-5 favorite who was ridden by Joel Rosario, finished second three-quarters of a length ahead of Shekky Shebaz.
Yes I Am Free had come off a five-month layoff to win an optional claiming allowance by a hard-fought nose Jan. 19.
“His last race as a very tough race and we were very worried,” Cazares said. “He hadn't run in a while and we know he was going to need a race off the layoff but he fought the entire way. He was not giving up. He showed a lot of heart.”
Saturday's victory was Yes I Am Free's 11th in 25 career starts, the most memorable being last year's triumph in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint.
“It feels amazing because I hadn't won a Grade 3 race before, I didn't really win any stakes race before, so this guy has done a lot for me and [the owners]. It's their first horse and look what he's done for them. He's done a lot for all of us,” Cazares said. “All the horses do a lot for all of us, but this guy has done the biggest so far. It's great.”
Bred in Florida by Sherry R. Mansfield and Kenneth H. Davis, Yes I Am Free was produced by the Yes It's True mare Yes It's Valid.
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