Freydis the Red Rumbles to Victory in Dueling Grounds Oaks
Brian Hernandez riding Freydis the Red to victory in the $1 million Dueling Grounds Oaks.(Coady Photography)
By Tim Wilkin
FRANKLIN, Ky. – Up in Saratoga Springs, Lexington-born trainer Kenny McPeek was packing up the car and the family, getting ready for the trip back home after a summer at the Spa.
Before he put Saratoga in his rear-view mirror, one more summer highlight, though.
McPeek and Scott Leeds, owner of Walking L Thoroughbreds, huddled around a TV set to watch the $1 million Dueling Grounds Oaks at the FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs Sunday for 3-year-old fillies.
And, oh, did they like what they saw.
Freydis the Red (FR), sent off at odds of 7-1, rumbled down the stretch and drew off to a 2 3/4-length victory in the 1 5/16-mile race.
“We’re going to Schuylerville and have margaritas,” McPeek said by phone, referring to a town outside of Saratoga.
Leeds was in Saratoga to watch his 2-year-old filly, Wonder Ride finish third in the Grade 1 Spinaway. Maybe they should have come to Kentucky Downs.
Freydis the Red, a daughter of Saxon Warrior, was ridden by Brian Hernandez. This was her second win in nine career starts. After four failed efforts as a 2-year-old, Freydis the Red broke her maiden in career start No. 6 at Churchill Downs on May 29.
McPeek immediately began swinging for the fences with her. She was fifth in the $500,000 Grade 1 Belmont Oaks on July 8 at 36-1 and then was third in the Grade 3 Pucker Up at Ellis Park on Aug. 6. at 5-1.
In that race, McPeek thought she was making a winning move late but came up two lengths short.
“We probably woulda, coulda shoulda won that one,” McPeek said. “We thought the added distance in this one would help her.”
It certainly didn’t hurt.
“In her last race, I didn’t give her the best of trips,” Hernandez said. “I got stuck behind some horses and, over at Ellis, you needed to make a little bit of a longer run with the shorter stretch and we just left her too much to do.”
Freydis the Red, who was seventh for the first three-quarters of a mile, trailed between nine and five lengths behind pacesetter Callie’s Grit. Callie’s Grit, named for the late Callie Witt, an exercise rider for trainer Joe Sharp who passed away after a training accident last spring, was going easy on the lead.
She set fractions of 23.30 for the quarter, 47.25 for the half, 1:11.45 for six furlongs and 1:35.73 for the mile.
“She was always kind of there for me in position,” Hernandez said. “When I needed her, she overtook those horses pretty easily.”
Freydis the Red raced six-wide into the upper stretch and moved powerfully past the field heading into the final sixteenth.
“Knowing her pedigree, I knew she would be capable,” said McPeek, who won his third Dueling Grounds Oaks. “You knew she would not have any quit in her. She is the consummate professional.”
Freydis the Red is out of the Songerie mare by Shirocco.
Sabalekna, ridden by Declan Cannon and trained by Whit Beckman finished second at odds of 20-1.
“She ran a great race,” Cannon said. “From the three-eighths pole home, she was doing her best running, but Brian (Hernandez) had me covered. I was just beat on the day by a better filly.”
Beckman was bidding to win his second race at the meet at a huge price. On Thursday, he won the $500,000 FanDuel Tapit Stakes at odds of 37-1 with Harlan Estate.
“Down here, the odds don’t feel like they should bother you,” Beckman said. “The winner is a nice horse; she just had a bit more of a gear. I thought we were going to get there; but when we got a little bit closer, she had a little bit left.”
McPeek said that he would target the Grade 1, $600,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on Oct. 14.
Freydis the Red was timed in 2:06.13, which is a track record for the distance, one that all 12 runners were trying for the first time. She paid $17.64, $7.70 and $5.86.
Flashy Gem finished third, beaten 2 ¾-lengths for second. She was followed by Last Call, Allamericanbeauty, Sun Bee, Mrs. Astor, the 5-2 favorite Safeen, Callie’s Grit, Soft Talk, Milagre Do Sol and Selenia.
