Chasing Liberty, a son of Constitution bred and raised by Twin Creeks Farm, secured victory in the $1 million National Thoroughbred League Juvenile Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs. Campaigned by Twin Creeks Racing, Chasing Liberty is now undefeated in his two career starts.
“We thought he was the kind you could take to Kentucky Downs and run as a 2-year-old,” said Randy Gullatt, manager of Twin Creeks Racing. “That was our goal. Just getting here was our goal. When a plan like that works out — we’re here to take that shot — it’s a good accomplishment.”
During the race, Chasing Liberty stalked the pace and made a wide move turning for home. He was bumped twice, once at the top of the stretch and again late by the pace setter, Under Who’s Radar, who impeded his path. Chasing Liberty was making a strong run towards him, causing jockey Florent Geroux to take a hold.
“My horse was making a very nice move on the outside,” Geroux said. “It looked like when Jose hit his horse left-handed, his horse got scared, got erratic, and crossed my path. I had to take a strong hold. It’s hard to tell if I’d have beaten him or not. It was very close. At the time, I was gaining a lot of momentum. I had to claim foul. In my opinion, it was the right call.”
After a ten-minute deliberation, Under Who’s Radar was disqualified for interference in the stretch. “I thought we ran a winning race and the stewards’ decision was up to them,” said winning trainer Rob Atlas. “Our horse just showed up today, regardless of if we were first or second. He ran an awesome race, and Flo did a great job. He was still a little bit green, but he showed his ability. He has a lot of talent. I knew it was going to be tough, and it was a big ask coming off a maiden win. I was worried it would be too soon to ask for this, but hey, he showed up.”
Randy Gullatt of Twin Creeks Racing Stables expressed their satisfaction with Chasing Liberty’s performance, whether he was placed first or stayed second. “We were just excited the horse ran big,” he said. “Those kinds of things are out of our control. You don’t want to root against anyone, but it worked out great for us.”
Photo by Grace Clark-Sweet
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