Practical Joke’s Gr.3 placed Secured Freedom (3c Practical Joke x Securely, by Uncle Mo) earned his first stakes victory in the Affirmed S. at Santa Anita on Monday. Returning to California after racing last out in the Gr.2 Pat Day Mile, Secured Freedom broke evenly with the rest of the field in the 1 1/16-mile race before settling near the rear as the 6-5 race favorite. The spread out field saw Secured Freedom over five lengths behind the leaders for much of the race. It wasn’t until the far turn that he started making a move. When Joel Rosario let him go, Secured Freedom was off like a shot and confronted the leaders quickly. By the time they hit the stretch, Secured Freedom was in a three-horse race for the lead that didn’t last for long. He built up a safe margin by midstretch and was able to stay in front with another runner trying to chase him down before the line. Secured Freedom won by 1 ¾ lengths to become the 41st Northen Hemisphere stakes winner for Practical Joke. Secured Freedom is trained by Tim Yakteen for Leslie and Pierre Jean Amestoy and Roger Beasley. The 3-year-old has finished in the top three in three of six starts with none of his starts seeing him finish worse than fourth. Bred by Audley Farm Equine, Secured Freedom is out of the Uncle Mo mare Securely. That mare has been a very successful broodmare so far with four winners from four to race including three stakes horses – two winning stakes. Securely is out of the stakes winning In Secure, who also produced Gr.2 winner Millionreasonswhy and stakes winners Beyondallboundarys, Roundupthelute, and Securitiz. This was the eighth stakes winner of the year for Practical Joke, putting him seventh on the General Sires list in that category with the stallion leading all North American stallions with 123 winners in 2026.