BEHOLDER MILE AT SANTA ANITA

MARLEY’S FREEDOM & SELCOURT SET TO AGAIN SQUARE OFF IN SATURDAY’S GRADE I, $400,000 BEHOLDER MILE AT SANTA ANITA 

MARLEY’S FREEDOM & SELCOURT SET TO AGAIN SQUARE OFF IN SATURDAY’S GRADE I, $400,000 BEHOLDER MILE AT SANTA ANITA


FIRST POST TIME FOR A 10-RACE PROGRAM ON SATURDAY IS SET FOR 1 P.M.

One-two finishers when last they met, Bob Baffert’s Marley’s Freedom and John Sadler’s Selcourt will each stretch out an eighth of a mile as they head Saturday’s Grade I, $400,000 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita, which has attracted an outstanding field of seven older fillies and mares.

Dispatched as the 3-5 favorite in the Grade II, seven furlong Santa Monica Stakes here Feb. 16, Marley’s Freedom overhauled Selcourt late to win by 1 ¼ lengths over a stubborn Selcourt, who was off at 5-1.

MARLEY’S FREEDOM

Owner:  Cicero Farms, LLC
Trainer:  Bob Baffert

Ridden with confidence by Drayden Van Dyke, Marley’s Freedom was an impressive winner of the Santa Monica, which followed what was no doubt one of her best career efforts, a one turn mile win by a neck in the Grade III Go For Wand at Aqueduct on Dec. 1.  A resounding winner of the Grade I, seven furlong Ballerina Stakes four starts back on Aug. 25 at Saratoga, this 5-year-old Blame mare appears strictly the horse to beat in the Beholder on Saturday.  A winner of six out of her last seven starts, five of them graded stakes, Marley’s Freedom is 15-8-2-0 overall with earnings of $935,935.

SELCOURT

Owner:  Medallion Racing & Keith Abrahams
Trainer:  John Sadler

Lightly raced and blessed with immense talent sprinting, this 5-year-old Tiz Wonderful mare will try two turns for the first time in what will be her 10th career start.  Breaking from the number two post position in a field of five in the seven furlong Santa Monica, Selcourt made all the early running, leading through splits of 22.40, 45 flat and 1:09.60 over a track listed as “good.”  Although she was collared late by Marley’s Freedom, Selcourt battled gamely to the wire, holding Mopotism at bay by a half length for the place.  Ridden by Joe Talamo last time out, she’ll be reunited with Tyler Baze, who had ridden her to four victories in her eight previous starts.

THE GRADE I BEHOLDER MILE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 10  Approximate post time 5 p.m. PT

Secret Spice–Geovanni Franco–121
Selcourt–Tyler Baze–121
Paradise Woods–Evin Roman–121
Exuberance–Victor Espinoza–121
Marley’s Freedom–Drayden Van Dyke–121
Just a Smidge–Assael Espinoza–121
Mopotism–Mario Gutierrez–121
First post time for a 10-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.