Neat

Neat, a Constitution colt bred in Kentucky, finished 11^th of 12 in his debut going 6 ½ furlongs on turf at Kentucky Downs in September 2023 but then came back to win his second start by 4 ¼ lengths in a 1 1/16-mile turf event at Laurel Park in late October. He then shipped to Fair Grounds and won another turf route at the same distance by 3 ½ lengths.

His connections then tried Neat on dirt in a Kentucky Derby prep race, but the colt finished a distant sixth in the Gun Runner Stakes. He returned to grass for the Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile Jan. 27 at Sam Houston Race Park and took to the yielding ground successfully, winning by 5 ½ lengths.

Neat was then pointed to a highly competitive renewal of the Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select on the opening April 5 card of Keeneland’s spring meet. Racing on good turf, he was among the early leaders but then settled off the pace midway through the 1 1/16-mile race, only to re-rally under Reylu Gutierrez and edge Cugino by a nose for his first graded stakes win.

Neat added another victory to his resume on June 29 when he won the Grade 3 $250,000 Manila Stakes going one mile on the turf at Belmont at the Big A. In the Manila, Neat pressed and stalked the pace throughout in a five-horse field and then made a move to the lead at the top of the stretch and lasted for the win by three-quarters of a length.

One start later, Neat earned another graded stakes win on the competitive New York turf circuit, rallying late to nip Lagynos at the finish and take the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes Aug. 2 at Saratoga.

Neat is out of the unraced More Than Ready mare Orabella and is a half-brother to stakes winner Louder Than Bombs.