GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALB—AUGUST 13, 2020—Free Thought, the current world record Quarter Horse for consecutive wins, will look to extend that record on Saturday when he faces four rivals in the $6,900 Evergreen Park Distance Stakes (not blacktype) at Evergreen Park.

Installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the 770 yard event, Free Thought will look to score his 18th consecutive win. The last time he failed to enter the winner's circle after a race was June 4, 2017 when he was a troubled sixth in an Allowance effort at Lethbridge.

Free Thought set the American Quarter Horse world record last August (2019) when he won his 16th consecutive race, a 770-yard gallop on the dirt at Century Downs in Balzac, just north of Calgary.

The previous record prior to that was set by the champion distance horse Snowbound Superstar, who won 15-straight races between 2006 and 2009. He took the record for most wins by a Quarter Horse in September of 2009 with a win in the California Distance Challenge at Los Alamitos Race Course.

Free Thought made it 17 straight with another win at Century on September 28, 2019 with by an impressive 2-½ length margin while drawing off from his rivals going 770 yards.

William Leech is the trainer of Free Thought. He was there from the beginning, when owner Chuck Stojan purchased the horse for $18,000 at Los Alamitos at the end of 2013. Los Alamitos based trainer Chuck Treece claimed the horse from breeder Edward C. Allred for $16,000 on November 22nd.

Leech is also responsible for stretching the horse out, transforming him from an average short-distance runner into an unstoppable powerhouse at longer distances.

“In my opinion. Leech is a great quarter horse trainer, he’s as good as there is around,” Stojan said, noting the horse performs best at 770 yards. ‘Have you ever seen the movie the Horse Whisperer?’ He’s got a certain knack for these horses. He’s a tremendous horseman.”

Free Thought continues to work out at Evergreen Park, but has been idle since his last race—his 17th consecutive victory—back in September at Century Downs.

The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the spring racing meet at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club in Lethbridge, while the Evergreen Park meet hasn’t worked out for Free Thought in terms of his strongest distances.

“He’s in the one hole,” Stojan said. “If he gets out good, he’s pretty tough to beat, but never know.”

This upcoming race—his first of the season—will be the 50th start in his remarkable world record journey.

Bred in California by Allred, the son of champion sire Stel Corona has compiled a (49) 27-10-6 record and banked $109,728. He is out of the Pritzi Dash mare Just Think.

The complete Evergreen Park Distance Stakes lineup, in post-position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:

1. Free Thought (R. Moreno) 3/5
2. Atomic Blondie (O.A. Hernandez) 10/1
3. Ss Frosty (B. Stewart) 3/1
4. Last Unicorn (M. Ortiz) 5/1
5. Big Horse Rollin (J.B. Botello) 8/1