BALTIMORE – Based at Laurel Park with Claudio Gonzalez, Maryland’s leading trainer the past two years, Robert D. Bone’s Completed Pass scored a win for the home team with his three-quarter length triumph in Friday’s 14th running of the $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint at Pimlico Race Course.
 
The five-furlong Jim McKay Turf Sprint for 3-year-olds and up was the second of two turf stakes on a 14-race program of seven stakes, four graded, highlighted by the $250,000 Xpressbet Black-Eyed Susan (G2) on the eve of the 144th Preakness Stakes (G1).
 
With jockey Victor Carrasco aboard, Indiana-bred Completed Pass ($4.40) hit the wire in 57.35 seconds over a course rated good for his sixth win from nine lifetime starts and first stakes victory. In his previous start, he was second by a neck as Dirty set Laurel’s Dahlia turf course record for 5 ½ furlongs in the inaugural King T. Leatherbury Stakes April 20.
 
American Sailor led the way along the rail as Carrasco guided Completed Pass into a contending position on their outside from the far outside post. The opening quarter-mile went in a quick 21.39 seconds with Completed Pass forcing the pace, then taking over once straightened for home and turning back 30-1 long shot Tempt Me Twice’s late rally.
 
Completed Pass is now three-four-four since joining Gonzalez’s barn this year, the only loss coming in the Leatherbury.
 
$100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint Quotes
 
Claudio Gonzalez (Winning trainer, Completed Pass): “All the time he showed to me a lot of speed, that's why we put him in the sprint when we took him to Charles Town [an allowance win at 4 1/2 furlongs]. He proved he could run. Then we tried him on grass, and he ran big the last time. Today, he had tough competition, but with the scratches we had, we thought he had a big chance. He's a little funny. He doesn't switch leads at the right time. But I know he can run."
 
Victor Carrasco (Winning jockey, Completed Pass): “The post position helped, being on the outside on a fast horse. The instructions were to go on. He broke sharp, good enough, and I just made sure I was right there, the first one or two. Turning for home I was right there. When I said ‘go’ he gave me a nice kick and he got it done.”