A determined late surge from Chasing Liberty turned Saturday’s $125,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint into one of the closest finishes on the Laurel Park card, with the Rob Atras-trained gelding edging Outlaw Kid by a nose after a gripping duel over five furlongs on turf.
The race formed part of Laurel Park’s high-profile Preakness Stakes programme, which featured nine stakes contests worth $3.15 million in purses ahead of the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes.
Chasing Liberty Jim McKay Turf Sprint
Ridden patiently by Irad Ortiz Jr., Chasing Liberty reversed the result of last month’s King T. Leatherbury Stakes, where Outlaw Kid had narrowly defeated him. This time, the four-year-old found the decisive stride exactly where it mattered most.
Breaking sharply from the gate, Jean Valjean set the early fractions and dictated the pace through an opening quarter in 22.10 seconds. Fore Harp pressed on the outside while Determined Kingdom tracked closely as the field approached the turn.
Ortiz, meanwhile, kept Chasing Liberty covered up along the rail, saving ground and waiting for racing room. The opening arrived approaching the eighth pole, and the response from the gelding was immediate. Chasing Liberty burst through near the inside as Outlaw Kid launched a sweeping run down the centre of the track.
The pair locked together inside the final sixteenth and fought stride for stride to the wire before Chasing Liberty got his nose down in time, stopping the clock in 1:01.37 over the firm Dahlia turf course.
Outlaw Kid finished a clear second, two lengths ahead of Card Trick in third. Run Curtis Run, Jean Valjean, Determined Kingdom and Fore Harp completed the main placings.
The victory gave Chasing Liberty his fifth career win from 12 starts and ended a lengthy wait for another stakes success following his triumph in the Texas Turf Mile at Sam Houston in January 2025. Since then, the gelding had repeatedly placed in competitive company without managing to return to the winner’s enclosure.
Trainer Rob Atras admitted the closing stages were tense after watching Outlaw Kid loom alongside once more.
“When I saw the 8 coming from the outside, I was like, ‘Here we go again,’” Atras said afterward. “Down the lane, he was so determined to keep in front. I was thrilled for him today. Really a great ride by Irad, too.”
Atras also praised the consistency of the horse, who has campaigned extensively across different circuits.
“He always runs a big race. He always runs hard. He is a dream horse to have. He shows up every single time,” he said.
Ortiz credited the gelding’s tactical speed and acceleration for making the difference late.
“I had great position going to the turn. I was saving ground and I could see everything happening right in front of me,” Ortiz said. “I asked my horse and he gave me a good turn of foot.”
The Jim McKay Turf Sprint honours legendary broadcaster Jim McKay, whose influence on American sports coverage and Maryland racing left a lasting legacy. McKay, famed for hosting ABC’s Wide World of Sports and Olympic broadcasts, also played a key role in launching the Maryland Million programme before his passing in 2008.
For Laurel Park racegoers, Saturday’s edition added another memorable finish to an already landmark afternoon of racing.
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