Highly Motivated

Highly Motivated made a bold impression in his second career start, at Belmont Park on Sept. 27, 2020. That afternoon, he broke his maiden by 1 3/4 lengths as the 7-10 favorite. He recovered from an awkward break to establish good stalking position, then drew off in the stretch. 

Next out, on the Breeders' Cup World Championship undercard at Keeneland on Nov. 6, 2020, Highly Motivated won the Nyquist Stakes by 4 1/4 lengths. He once again broke awkwardly, but recovered quickly and pulled away in the stretch. He set a new track record, covering 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:14.99.

Highly Motivated made his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes March 6 at Aqueduct and ran third to earn 10 points toward qualifying for the 2021 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve.

In his final prep for the Kentucky Derby, Highly Motivated went right to the lead in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes April 3 at Keeneland. He battled tenaciously when challenged by champion Essential Quality in deep stretch but could not hold off the determined winner and settled for a game runner-up finish and a spot in the starting gate May 1 at Churchill Downs.

Highly Motivated finished tenth in the Derby, then went to the sidelines for the rest of his 3-year-old season. He won for the first time as a 4-year-old at Belmont Park on May 28, 2022, taking a second-level allowance optional claiming race over stablemate Stage Raider.

Off of that victory, trainer Chad Brown sent Highly Motivated to Monmouth Park for the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup Stakes on July 23. The colt stalked the pace and made a winning move midway through the far turn, surging past stablemate Pipeline and drawing clear in early stretch to a 1 ¾-length score under Flavien Prat.  Back at Monmouth on August 20, Highly Motivated was sent off as the even-money favorite in the Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin Stakes but was denied a repeat Monmouth win when he settled for second behind longshot winner, Informative. 

Highly Motivated is owned by Klaravich Stables Inc. Klaravich and Brown co-owned and trained Highly Motivated's dam, Strong Incentive, who won the 2015 Jammed Lovely Stakes at Woodbine.