Free Fighter delivers knockout in Louisville 'Cap

Last updated: 5/22/10 7:44 PM

Free Fighter earned his second graded win in the Louisville Handicap

(Reed Palmer Photography/Churchill Downs)

Thomas Fedro Sr. and Team Block’s FREE FIGHTER (Out of Place) posted his
second upset graded win of the past year with an authoritative triumph in
Saturday’s $113,800

Louisville H. (G3) at Churchill Downs. Though the winning margin was only
two lengths, the five-year-old gelding had sped off to lead by three lengths a
furlong out and won in hand under Francisco Torres. Unplaced in three outings
since his near 11-1 upset of the Stars and Stripes Turf H. (G3) at Arlington
Park on Labor Day, Free Fighter was sent off at 12-1 this time and rewarded his
astute backers with mutuels of $27.20, $12.40 and $8.

Free Fighter was never more than 1 1/2 lengths behind at any call of the
12-furlong Louisville, and was well positioned among the top three as Telling
(A.P. Indy) and Eagle Poise (Empire Maker) traded leads through pokey splits of
:25 3/5, :51 1/5, 1:16 1/5 and 1:41 2/5. Despite the soft pace, those two were
spent by the time the field reached the home stretch. Free Fighter advanced into
a half-length lead turning for home, getting 1 1/4 miles in 2:06 3/5, and was
home free from there as the late-closers Brass Hat (Prized) and Bearpath
(Dynaformer) made unsuccessful bids at the winner. Final time over the yielding
ground was 2:31 1/5.

“He was just waiting for me to push the button,” Torres said. “When I
pushed the button he responded turning for home and he kind of opened
up; it was catch me if you can and they didn’t.”

Bearpath, the Pan American S. (G3) winner, passed Brass Hat late for second
at 9-2, returning $6.80 and $4.60. Brass Hat, the 2009 Louisville winner, was 1
1/4 lengths behind that one and gave back $2.80 at 7-2. Fourth money went to the
54-1 outsider Silver Mountain (Victory Gallop), who was 2 1/2 lengths adrift of
Brass Hat. The exotics were worth $138.80 (exacta), $609 (trifecta) and
$9,299.20 (4-1-5-10 superfecta).

Telling ran fifth and was followed across the wire by Blushing Bear (Rahy),
Eagle Poise, three-time Louisville winner Silverfoot (With Approval), March to
Victory (Dixieland Band) and Hidden Glance (Kingmambo). The steeplechaser Spy in
the Sky (Thunder Gulch) was scratched.

Trained by Chris Block, Free Fighter has now earned $305,878 from a line of 20-7-1-3. In addition to
his two stakes scores, the chestnut also placed in the 2008 Come Summer S. at
Canterbury and the 2009 Black Tie Affair H. at Arlington.

Bred by Team Block in Illinois, Free Fighter is a half-brother to multiple
stakes hero and Grade 3-placed Corrupt (Belong to Me). They were produced by the
multiple stakes-winning Taxable Deduction (Prized), whose youngest offspring are
the unraced juvenile colt Suntracer (Kitten’s Joy) and the yearling filly
Leading Astray (Belong to Me). Free Fighter hails from the family of multiple
Grade 1 turf star and millionaire Astra (Theatrical [Ire]).