After finishing second on debut, Freely Held dominated in his next outing Aug. 15 at Delaware Park, becoming the first winner for WinStar Farm's first-crop sire Independence Hall .
Rating in second through the opening quarter, Freely Held inched his way in front rounding the far turn and kicked clear of his competition at the top of the lane. The 2-year-old Kentucky-bred colt crossed the wire an emphatic 6 1/2 lengths the best in a final time of 1:05.80 for the 5 1/2 furlongs on a fast main track.
Luis Ocasio piloted Freely Held for trainer Daniel Velazquez and owner Happy Tenth Stable.
Happy Tenth Stable purchased Freely Held for $75,000 at this year's Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training out of the Majestic consignment; the colt was originally sold for $30,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Bred by Three Lyons Racing, Freely Held is out of the winning Exchange Rate mare Kept, who hails from the family of Hall of Fame race mare and 1990 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) heroine Safely Kept.
A flashy, near-black son of Constitution , Independence Hall was a precocious 2-year-old, landing the Nashua Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack in his second start, who became a top-class competitor into his 4-year-old year. He delivered an encore performance when taking the 2021 Fayette Stakes (G2) at Keeneland and was graded stakes-placed three times that season before retiring to WinStar Farm near Versailles, Ky. Independence Hall stood the 2025 breeding season for $7,500.
