Lady Freedom showing promise

MIAMI – Allowance races have been few and far between since the Gulfstream Park West meet began last week, but trainer Rodolfo Garcia made the most of his limited opportunities Wednesday when sending out his top 2-year-old filly prospect Lady Freedom to win the afternoon’s co-feature, decided under first-level optional-claiming conditions on the main track.

Lady Freedom, a daughter of Super Saver, overcame some trouble at the start, rallying from last to a game nose decision over hard-luck runner-up Lady Phyllis. The win was the second in five tries for Lady Freedom, who had been overmatched in the Grade 2 Pocahantas at Churchill Downs in her previous start four weeks earlier.

“She’s nicely bred but on the smallish side, and when they don’t have the size it kind of works against them,” Garcia said. “But I knew she had some ability from the first time I worked her.”

Lady Freedom was fifth in her debut June 24 at Gulfstream, and in her second start was runner-up to Awesome Mass, who romped to an 11 3/4-length victory July 20. Lady Freedom came back to win her maiden Aug. 6.

With the filly being a Kentucky-bred and not eligible for the Florida Sire Stakes, Garcia said he was left with few options at that point.

“We nominated her for the Spinaway, but decided going to Kentucky was a better option, only that trip turned out to be a disaster all around,” Garcia said. “First, we had to move her around because of [Hurricane Irma], then the trip took way longer than originally anticipated, and it was also her first time going two turns. Nothing worked out the way we’d hoped.”

Things didn’t start out Lady Freedom’s way Wednesday either, when she and jockey Edgard Zayas got squeezed back at the start.

“When she got sandwiched like that at the break, Edgard decided to take her back and wait, which was probably a good thing,” Garcia said. “The track was playing deep, they went fast in the beginning, and she was able to come on and run them down at the end.”

Garcia said he’ll sit down with the filly’s owners and consider options for Lady Freedom’s next start later this week.

“I haven’t looked at much going forward for her and I’m not really sure if she wants to go two turns,” Garcia said. “Honestly, I think she might end up being a good one-turn horse, up to a mile at Gulfstream this winter.”

Garcia also is high on another of his 2-year-old prospects, the Florida-bred Salambo, who drew off to an impressive 5 1/2-length maiden special weight victory against statebreds Sunday and earned a career-high 70 Beyer Speed Figure. Salambo, a son of Kantharos, has shown big improvement since Garcia first added blinkers to his equipment two starts back.

“I’m going to back off a little bit on him after the effort Sunday and point him for the championship meet this winter at Gulfstream Park,” Garcia said.

◗ A field of seven statebreds will contest Saturday’s $37,000 feature under entry-level allowance conditions going one mile and 70 yards over the main track. Charlie the Greek, winner of two of his last three starts, will likely be favored.