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SECURED FREEDOM 12.28.25ACTNT
PRESS RELEASES

Secured Freedom, promising maiden winner Decisive Win and Stakes winner One More Freud meet in the Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles Thursday at Santa Anita

6/6/2026

__SECURED FREEDOM, PROMISING MAIDEN WINNER DECISIVE WIN AND STAKES WINNER ONE MORE FREUD MEET IN THE AFFIRMED STAKES FOR 3-YEAR-OLDS GOING 1 1/16 MILES THURSDAY AT SANTA ANITA __

ARCADIA, CA (June 6, 2026)—Secured Freedom and stakes winner One More Freud, both exiting the GII Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs, and promising maiden winner Decisive Win lead Thursday’s $100,000 Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita.

Secured Freedom, trained by Tim Yakteen, gets a touch of class relief after a series of graded stakes tries. In the Pat Day Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard May 2, Secured Freedom settled in mid-pack and then improved his position late to finish a solid fourth behind winner Crude Velocity. Prior to that effort, the colt by Practical Joke was fourth in GII San Felipe and third in the GIII Robert B. Lewis, both at Santa Anita. Secured Freedom is owned by Leslie A. Amestoy, Pierre Jean Amestoy Jr. and Roger K. Beasley. Hall of Famer Joel Rosario will ride Secured Freedom for the first time.

One More Freud is a new face in California for trainer Bob Hess. Jr. Last August, he won the Sapling Stakes going one mile at Monmouth but then didn’t return until the Pat Day Mile six months later. In the Pat Day Mile, the colt by Tonalist was last of 11 after the opening half and was never a factor when checking in seventh at odds of 41-1. He is owned by a partnership led by JP Racing Stable, Paradise Farms Corp. and Robert C. Bayer. One More Freud will be ridden by Mike Smith for the first time.

Decisive Win on May 22 was stretched out to one mile for his second start and promptly aired by 5 ½ lengths under Antonio Fresu. The effort earned a field-high 90 Beyer Speed Figure. Trained by Doug O’Neill, the colt by Nyquist was purchased for $600,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training. He is owned by Great Friends Stables and Mark D. Davis. Fresu again has the call on Decisive Win.

THE AFFIRMED WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

  1. One More Freud—Mike Smith—124
  2. Mo Koko—Armando Ayuso—120
  3. Secured Freedom—Joel Rosario—120
  4. Decisive Win—Antonio Fresu—120
  5. Constitution Andi—Victor Espinoza—120
  6. Court of Appeal—Juan Hernandez--120

First post Thursday is 1 p.m. PT.