Free of Love, Hal's Hope Work For Donn

From Gulfstream Park
Free of Love was on the track for an easy workout Jan. 29 in preparation for his forthcoming appearance in the $500,000 Donn Handicap (gr. I) at 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 9. The Richard Violette Jr.-trained runner was clocked in :50 4/5 breezing.

"It was just a maintenance move on Tuesday," Violette said. "I'll probably give him one more serious work before the race. But he's had the benefit of a race over the track and he's plenty fit. More than likely, we'll run him in the Donn."

Free of Love was an impressive winner of an allowance race at Gulfstream on Jan. 21 and was stakes-placed twice last year. He was second in the Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga and third in the Discovery Handicap (gr. III) at Aqueduct.

Another Donn starter, Rose Family Stable Ltd.'s Hal's Hope, winner of the grade 1 Florida Derby two years ago, worked three-quarters of a mile in 1:13 1/5 handily at Calder Race Course Jan. 29.

"He worked good," said owner/trainer/breeder Harold Rose. "It was exactly what I wanted. Roger Velez was aboard for the move. That will be his last major work for the race, although I may blow him out one more time early next week. I'm bringing him up to the Donn exactly the same way I did for his last race in the Skip Away."