Preakness Stakes News | Catching Freedom Under Consideration

Kentucky Derby (G1) fourth-place finisher Catching Freedom is under consideration for the 149th Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, said Jason Loutsch, the co-owner and racing manager for Albaugh Family Stables.

The Louisiana Derby (G2) winner rallied from 15th to finish fourth under Flavien Prat in the Kentucky Derby, coming in two lengths behind the three-horse photo from which Mystik Dan emerged the winner.

Loutsch said Thursday by phone that the ultimate decision will be made by Churchill Downs-based trainer Brad Cox, but that Catching Freedom likely will run in either the 1 3/16-mile Preakness or Churchill Downs’ $400,000 Matt Winn Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles on June 9.

“We never really ruled it out,” Loutsch said of the Preakness. “We were just going to give the horse some time to come back. We weren’t going to commit until we found out how the horse is doing. We’ll know something by Saturday. Obviously, you’d love to run in Triple Crown races, but at the same time the horse is always first.

“We’ll make a decision by the weekend. He’s doing well now. I’m not opposed to taking a shot in the Preakness, but I’ve got to listen to Brad and the horse and take my heart out of it,” he added. “Of course I want to run, but at the end of the day it’s all about the horse. He ran a bang-up race, ran hard in the Derby. We’ll just see how he comes back out of it. If we don’t run in the Preakness, we’ll go to the Matt Winn.” 

Catching Freedom came from last, rallying into a pedestrian pace, to win the Louisiana Derby at the Preakness distance of 1 3/16 miles.

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Horsemen will be offered $7.5 million in bonus opportunities as well as two qualifiers for races at Newmarket and Deauville come Preakness Day May 18 at legendary Pimlico Race Course.

In addition to their respective purses, a $5 million bonus awaits the owner or owners of the horse who wins the $2 million Preakness (G1), the $1 million California Crown (G1) Sept. 28 at Santa Anita, and the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park in 2025.

Meanwhile, a $2.5 million bonus awaits the owner or owners of the horse who wins Pimlico’s $500,000 Dinner Party (G3), the $750,000 California Crown John Henry Turf (G2), and $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

In addition, the winner of the $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint will receive an automatic entry and travel incentive to run in the July Cup Stakes (G1) at Newmarket on July 13, while the winner of the Gallorette Stakes (G3) for fillies and mares on the turf will receive an automatic entry and travel incentive to run in the Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet (G1) at Deauville Aug. 18.

The Maryland Jockey Club will also offer bonus money totaling $100,000 bonus to trainers who run a minimum of five horses in the stakes races during Preakness weekend, and another $50,000 bonus for trainers with the most points in non-stakes during the weekend.