What to know about Iowa-owned Ky. Derby horse
Catching Freedom is one of 20 horses expected to enter the 2024 Kentucky Derby on May 4 at Churchill Downs. The horse is owned by Ankeny businessman Dennis Albaugh.
Spots for the Run for the Roses are earned by gaining points through a series of Kentucky Derby prep races that began last September.
The post-position draw for the Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday, April 27. Post time for the Kentucky Derby is set for 5:57 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 4.
Catching Freedom will enter the Kentucky Derby off a victory in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on March 23 at Fair Grounds. He currently ranks third on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard with 125.
Catching Freedom
Bay
Kentucky Constitution
Catch My Drift, by Pioneerof $575,000 at 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale Albaugh Family Stables (Dennis Albaugh). Albaugh is 0 for 6 in the Derby, the best finish coming with Angel of Empire (third) in 2023. Brad Cox. He is 1 for 9 in the Derby, winning via disqualification with Mandaloun in 2021.
Flavien Prat. He is 1 for 6 in the Derby, winning via disqualification with Country House in 2019.
3-0-1 in five starts $877,350
125 (No. 3)
Won Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on March 23 at Fair Grounds by a length over Honor Marie.
Closer Catching Freedom won his maiden race Oct. 1 at Churchill Downs and opened his 3-year-old season Jan. 1 with a victory in the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park. After a third-place finish Feb. 17 in the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds — behind Sierra Leone and Track Phantom — Catching Freedom bounced back to win the Louisiana Derby. … In five races, Catching Freedom has used four different jockeys — Florent Geroux (two), Cristian Torres, Luis Saez and Prat, who got the victory in the Louisiana Derby. … Albaugh mortgaged his own home to start his own pesticide company. He operates the stable with racing manager Jason Loutsch.
“He needed pretty much the entire stretch to get there, and I am very proud of the effort,”
Cox said after Catching Freedom’s rally from last to first in the Louisiana Derby. “We’ll make sure he is happy and healthy. … He broke his maiden (at Churchill Downs), so he knows the place. Hopefully he can have a great six weeks and a big run the first Saturday in May.”