Grace is Free is set to make her debut at two turns in the $300,000 Martha Washington Stakes on January 31, according to trainer Robert N. Klein. This 1 1/16-mile race is the opening event in a series of three qualifiers for the Kentucky Oaks (G1), which is the most prestigious race for 3-year-old fillies at Oaklawn.
The Martha Washington Stakes offers a total of 42 points spread among the top five finishers (20-10-6-4-2) to help them qualify for the Kentucky Oaks.
The filly will be ridden by former trainer Larry Jones, a three-time Kentucky Oaks winner. Grace Is Free recently secured her first Oaklawn stakes victory in the six-furlong, $150,000 Mockingbird race on January 4th for owners Cline and Kelsi Herr.
“She’s doing well so far,” Klein commented. “Initially, she seemed to hold back a little, but she quickly bounced back strong and eager to compete again. We’re focusing on the Martha Washington now. She recovered fast and should be ready. Her bloodline indicates she has the stamina, so we’ll just have to see how it goes.”
Grace Is Free, out of American Freedom, has twice won stakes races at 1 1/16 miles. Trainer Jones previously won the 2008 Martha Washington Division Two with Eight Bells, including a record-winning margin of 13 ½ lengths. The race distance was one mile from 2004 to 2021.
Apart from Grace Is Free, Oaklawn’s Horse Racing Department identified four other top contenders for the Martha Washington early Wednesday: notable Hall of Fame trainers Mark Casse, Brad Cox, and Kenny McPeek are entering horses Hit Parade, Search Party, and Spitfire, respectively.
Counting Stars aims for her third stakes win of the Oaklawn season, having won the six-furlong, $135,000 Astral Spa Overnight Stakes on December 14th (where Grace Is Free placed fourth), and the one-mile, $150,000 Year’s End Stakes on December 27th. Under jockey Francisco Arrieta, Counting Stars clocked five furlongs in 1:01.20 during Wednesday’s workout on a track rated good.
Search Party, who scored a decisive victory at Oaklawn on December 27, ran five furlongs in 1:01 under former jockey Autumn LaVertue on Wednesday.
Entries and post positions for the Martha Washington will be finalized and announced on Sunday.
This article first appeared in the Paulick Report on January 22, 2026.
Fan Take: This update is exciting for horse racing enthusiasts because it highlights rising stars like Grace Is Free gearing up for key qualifiers leading to the Kentucky Oaks, one of the sport’s most celebrated events. Keeping an eye on these promising fillies and legendary trainers adds depth and anticipation to the future of racing at Oaklawn and beyond.
