In a breathtaking display of speed and determination, Witty, a 6-year-old gelding, surged from last place to capture the $125,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.
Owned by Qatar Racing LLC, Marc Detampel, and Elizabeth M. Merryman, who also bred and trains the horse, Witty delivered a memorable performance on Preakness Stakes day, much to the delight of the crowd and his connections, especially for Merryman as the win coincided with her 61st birthday.
The five-furlong turf sprint saw Witty, under jockey Flavien Prat, steady at the start after being bumped, finding himself trailing the field by a significant margin.
The early pace was brisk, with Honeyquist setting swift opening fractions of 21.91 seconds for the quarter-mile.
As the field turned for home, Coppola took the lead, but Witty, who was still well back, began to unleash a powerful late run.
Navigating through traffic in the stretch, Prat guided Witty to the outside. Once clear, the Pennsylvania-bred son of Great Notion exploded with a remarkable turn of foot, sweeping past his rivals to win by an impressive 3 1/4 lengths. The final time for the race over the good turf course was 59.61 seconds.
No Nay Hudson (IRE) rallied to finish second, a neck ahead of Determined Kingdom in third. Coppola faded to fourth after leading in the stretch.
For Witty, this was his tenth career victory in 31 starts and his second win at Pimlico, having previously won the 2023 Ben’s Cat Stakes.
He had finished second in the 2024 edition of the Jim McKay Turf Sprint. The victory was a testament to his signature late-running style.
Trainer Elizabeth Merryman noted, “That’s him. He always comes from way off the pace. There was a ton of speed in the race, so I expected him to be way behind.”
Jockey Flavien Prat added, “They kind of ran away from me at first, then in the turn, he started making up a bit of ground…I asked him for run and he took off.”
Witty is notably a half-brother to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Caravel, also bred by Merryman.
Scratched Horse(s): Boat’s a Rockin (Trainer), Duncan Idaho (Trainer)
Fractional Times: 21.91, 46.47
Final Time: 59.61
Winning Connections
Winner: Witty
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Trainer: Elizabeth Merryman
Owner: Qatar Racing LLC, Marc Detampel, and Elizabeth M. Merryman
Breeder: Elizabeth M. Merryman
Bloodline: Witty, Gray or Roan Gelding, by Great Notion out of Zeezee Zoomzoom, by Congrats. Foaled April 9, 2019 in Pennsylvania.
Great Notion stands at Northview Stallion Station, in Chesapeake City, MD.
Payouts
| No. | Horse | Win | Place | Show |
| 4 | Witty | 7.80 | 3.60 | 2.60 |
| 2 | No Way Hudson (IRE) | 3.60 | 3.00 | |
| 5 | Determined Kingdom | 4.40 |
- $1.00 Exacta (4-2) Paid: $12.60
- $1.00 Trifecta (4-2-5) Paid: $79.80
- $1.00 Superfecta (4-2-5-6) Paid: $204.80
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