Marley’s Freedom sweeps to victory in Great Lady M (G2)
Marley’s Freedom made a huge move entering the stretch to go from last to first in less than a furlong to win the $200,000 Great Lady M Stakes (G2) Saturday at Los Alamitos.
The win was the second for Bob Baffert in the Great Lady M., which has been run at Los Alamitos since 2015. He also captured the race in 2015 with Fantastic Style.
Last through the first half-mile of the 6 1/2-furlong contest, Marley’s Freedom accelerated rapidly, going seven-wide to circle the field, then draw off in the late stages to win by 1 1/2-lengths in 1:15 flat, just a half-second off the track record.
“I ride her with a lot of confidence,” said jockey Drayden Van Dyke. “The plan was to take her back and make a run and she gave me a real nice turn of foot. (Runner-up Skye Diamonds) fought gamely, but I knew we had her measured.”
“(Van Dyke) knows her,” said Baffert assistant Mike Marlow. “We just wanted her to break and then let her relax. He kept her in the clear and rode her like he was on the best horse. She could be a lot of fun the rest of the year. We’re off to a good start.”
Baffert took over training Marley’s Freedom about three months ago. In her first start for her new connections, she won the Desert Stormer S. (G3) by seven lengths to earn a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 105.
Saturday’s win upped her record to 5-2-0 with earnings of $353,435 for owner Cicero Farms LLC.