Free Fighter downing his rivals at Arlington Park to win the Stars and Stripes Stakes
The six-year-old gelding Free Fighter triumphant in the $100,000 Stars and Stripes Stakes at Arlington Park on 23 July, ending his 14 months winless streak under new owner Frank Mancari. It was Free Fighter’s first win for his new connections.
The race was off the Arlington Park’s turf due to overnight heavy rain fall, forcing the race to run on Arlington Park’s synthetic surface.
The race reeled in multiple grade 1 winner Winchester and among seven other was Scott Becker’s ride Proceed Bee.
The six-year-old son of Out of Place Free Fighter, grounded out a 2 length victory over Christophe Clement trained Winchester.
The six-year-old Winchester was making his 2011 debut in the Stars and Stripes Stakes under jockey Cornelio Velasquez.
His previous run was on 6 November 2011 in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf over at a distance of 1 ½ miles where he finished fourth.
The five-year-old gelding, Proceed Bee guided by C Emigh finished third. He was the 9 to 10 second choice to win the Stars and Stripes Stakes. The son of Bernstein is winless in the 2011 season and prior to the $100,000 test, he started in the Grade 3 Arlington
Handicap under J Alvarado finishing 6th.
Proceed Bee had an impressive 2010 season where he won 3 out of 4 starts. Owned by William Stiritz, Proceed Bee is the son of Bernstein – Procession by Private Terms.
Free Fighter won the Stars and Stripes Stakes back in 2009, when he was conditioned by trainer Chris Block. Team Block sold Free Fighter according to current trainer Michael Reavis to Frank Mancari, who privately purchased the six-year-old gelding.
Out of Tax Deduction by Prized, Free Fighter was 9 to 1 to win the race. Jockey Tim Thornton shot the gelding out from the gates to win his first after a long time; his last was at Churchill Downs turf in the Grade 3 Louisville Handicap in 2010.
The drive by Tim Thornton urged Free Fighter to move forward with lots of fire power, he managed to go past his rivals from fourth position to the third. He tracked leaders, but just before the mid-stretch assumed the second position before Proceed Bee.
The favoured Winchester on the other hand was held off the pace by jockey Cornelio Velasquez, looming at the back of the field most of the race, the pair switched on the outside and made a strong run to the wire.
Winchester in the final strides managed to take over Proceed Bee to finish second by a head.This was Winchester’s debut run of 2011, prior to that he ran in the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase on 12 December at Sha Tin, where he finished 11th.
Winchester never threatened Free Fighter, as the winner boosted his bank roll to $441,768, out of 32 starts this was Free Fighter’s eighth win.
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