$150,000 Mockingbird Stakes

The first couple of Oaklawn racing can now celebrate a first Oaklawn stakes victory.

Grace is Free surged to the lead on the outside early on the turn and held off Knickleandime in deep stretch for a one-length victory in Sunday’s $150,000 Mockingbird Stakes for 3-year-old filly sprinters.

Jockey Kelsi Harr, a native of tiny Slovak, Ark., rode Grace is Free for trainer and longtime significant other Robert N. Cline, who attended nearby Lake Hamilton High School.

Harr also gallops and works horses for Cline, a former exercise rider for retired three-time Kentucky Oaks-winning trainer Larry Jones, who bred and owns Grace is Free in partnership. Harr and Cline had teamed for only one other stakes victory prior to the Mockingbird, that coming in the $50,000 Minnesota H.B.P.A. Distaff with Best Kept Secret in 2021 at Canterbury Park. They had knocked on the stakes door several times in recent years at Oaklawn with Arkansas-bred standout Bandit Point, Harr’s first career winner and all-time favorite horse.

Knickleandime finished a half-length ahead of 4-5 favorite Woodstock, who was followed, in order, by Walk Away Kaye, Wakuda, Prowess and Evolution. The winning time for 6 furlongs over a fast track was 1:10.79.

Grace is Free ($32.40) was exiting a fourth-place finish in the inaugural $135,000 Astral Spa Stakes at six furlongs Dec. 14 at Oaklawn. The daughter of American Freedom was a debut winner Aug. 17 at Canterbury Park.

Grace is Free raised her career earnings to $107,710 following her second victory from four starts.

Sunday was the final day of Oaklawn’s 13-day Holiday racing season. Racing resumes Jan. 30, with the 51-day Classic season running through May 2.

Mockingbird Quotes

Winning Jockey Kelsi Harr (Grace is Free): “We liked the filly for a long time now and we thought we had a shot, for sure. I was kind of surprised when I looked at the odds when I first came out, but we knew we still had to get her there. When I struck the lead, I was a little scared that I did it a little too soon. I said: ‘Don’t fail me now.’ ”

Winning Trainer Robert N. Cline (Grace is Free): “I would say this (win with Kelsi Harr) ranks right up there. If not, it might be one of the most exciting because this is a young filly. Hopefully, she gets bigger, better and faster and we can go to better things. It was a great day, either way. This filly has always done everything we’ve asked.”