Of Dubious Miss, Quick Enough, and Cost of Freedom

A trio of veteran geldings are entered to race over the next two days. They are Dubious Miss, winner of the 2010 Ben Ali Stakes (gr. III); Quick Enough, a capable turf sprinter who has won or placed in six stakes races, including a victory in the 2010 Morvich Stakes (gr. III); and Cost of Freedom, a grade I winner in the past that has lost a few steps with old age but still shows good early speed even at the advanced age of nine.

Quick Enough and Cost of Freedom will head to post first, as they are both entered in the same race later this afternoon. The event is a six-furlong, $25,000-$22,500 claiming event on the all-weather track at Golden Gate Fields. Quick Enough has been competing well in similar events here at Golden Gate, the only difference in today's race being the claiming tag. Quick Enough has been competing in $20,000-$18,000 events, and is thus taking a bit of a step up in class today. Regardless, he is the 5-2 second choice on the morning line and should turn in a good effort.

Cost of Freedom won the Ancient Title Stakes (gr. I) back in 2008, and was beaten just a head when third in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I). Unfortunately, he is no longer the force that he once was, and his last three starts have come for a claiming price. He hasn't won a race in over a year, but this is the lowest-class race in which he has ever competed, and it's possible that this could lead to a much-improved effort.

On Saturday at Fair Grounds, Dubious Miss will head to post in the Colonel E. R. Bradley Handicap (gr. III). The eight-year-old gelding recently won his first race since the 2010 Ben Ali, taking a 7-1/2 furlong, $35,000-$30,000 claiming race by a length. This is a great big step up in class, and he will be facing several in-form stakes winners, but Dubious Miss has been a consistently good horse throughout his career. In addition, he did finish second in this race last year and has always run well here at Fair Grounds, so hopefully that will be enough to see Dubious Miss run another great race.
-Keelerman