DESPITE a lacklustre win record, six-year-old bay gelding Freedom Street has risen to the top of the pack as the prime candidate to claim the $1.25-million George HoSang Trophy feature on today’s nine-race card.

The Patrick Lynch-trained horse has shown significant improvement in recent outings, finishing second three times in 17 starts and earning a substantial $1,015,150 in stakes last season.

Freedom Street’s most recent performance on December 26, 2024 was particularly noteworthy as he placed second, 8¼ lengths behind Digital One at six and a half furlongs (1,300m). Freedom Street finished ahead of several competitors, including Divine Force (fourth), Thalita (fifth), Noble Attitude (10th), and Big Argument (12th), all of whom are vying for the top spot today.

To emerge victorious, Freedom Street needs only replicate his previous effort. With Panamanian jockey Ismael Velasquez at the helm Freedom Street appears poised to take home the coveted trophy.

However, several challengers are lurking in the shadows, eager to upset Freedom Street’s momentum.
Divine Force, trained by Philip Feanny, is expected to make a bold bid, having finished 11 lengths behind
Digital One and 3¼ lengths behind Freedom Street in the previous outing. Divine Force, a five-year-old American-bred bay horse, has a racing record of four wins and three second-place finishes from 16 starts on local soil.

Thalita, following a three-month hiatus, demonstrated impressive competitiveness before faltering in the stretch and is anticipated to deliver a strong performance. Thalita was up with the pace coming into the lane before she gave way, finishing 11¾ lengths behind Digital One, 3½ lengths behind Freedom Street, and ¾ length behind Divine Force. Thalita has worked fairly well coming into this race and, given her back class, she is poised for a capital effort.

Madelyn’s Sunshine, a six-year-old American-bred mare, may prove to be a dark horse in the competition. Despite recent underwhelming performances she boasts a fine pace and could potentially shake up the field.
Madelyn’s Sunshine was expected to win over the straight (1,000m) on January 4 but was outpaced and finished seventh by 8½ lengths. She runs better on the round course and could be a force to be reckoned with here.

Another runner who should not be overlooked is Inspire Force. Inspire Force finished in sixth position over the straight on January 4, his first outing for the season. Inspire Force, who was seen making strong headway towards the end of the race, should welcome the additional distance and is ready to make a capital effort.

The Overnight Allowance contest for three-year-olds and upward over six furlongs (1,200m) is positioned as the seventh event with a post time of 4:05 pm. First race is at 12:00 pm.

— Ruddy Allen

Ones to watch:

Race 1: Linguist/Hansa/Wayne’scherrylinks

Race 2: Propellant/Joblane/Money Box

Race 3: Maya/Let Him Fly/Casual Peach

Race 4: Linstead Market/Ruby’s Light/Valley of Love

Race 5: Pineapple/Happy Force/Affair

Race 6: Money Monster/Sonny T and Chippy/Milos

Race 7: Madelyn’s Sunshine/Thalita/Inspire Force

Race 8: Bulletproofcoffee/Flybluejet/Lady Abhimala

Race 9: Fearless Attack/Midnight Flight/Magnificent Force