Highway Robber

Highway Robber made a nice first impression in his career debut Sept. 23, 2022, at Churchill Downs, where he won a sprint on the main track by 2 ¾ lengths. But his career really took off three starts later when he was switched from the main track to the turf July, 9, 2023, at Ellis Park. The Hard Spun gelding rallied from off the pace to win a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance race by a neck and found a new home on the grass.

Making his stakes debut in his second race on turf, Highway Robber again surged from well off the pace to finish second by a head in the KY Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby at 1 1/8 miles. He was unplaced in the Gun Runner Stakes at Kentucky Downs in his final start in 2023.

Highway Robber got off to a winning start in his 4-year-old campaign in 2024, closing from 10^th to post a 1 ½-length win May 18 at Churchill Downs in an allowance race. Two starts later at Ellis Park, Highway Robber earned his first stakes win with a one-length victory in the $300,000 KY Downs Preview Turf Cup Stakes at Ellis Park Aug. 4.

That win set Highway Robber up for a start in the $2 million FanDuel TV Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes at Kentucky Downs and he picked up a significant check of $388,000 with a runner-up finish by a half-length to Grand Sonata.

Highway Robber nailed down the first graded stakes win of his career in his next race, outfinishing Bold Act after a thrilling finish through the final furlong of the Grade 3 Sycamore Stakes to prevail in 2:26.08, a course record for 1 ½ miles at Keeneland.