Reagan’s Wit took control in a flash in the stretch to lock up his first stakes win in the James W. Murphy Stakes on the turf at Pimlico on Preakness Day Saturday.

Hammered down to 3-to-5 odds, the 3-year-old colt swept to the front with a beautiful turn of foot and threw in a few anxious moments approaching the wire as he greenly veered in and out. Jose Ortiz kept him to task and got the job done, prevailing by 3 1/4 lengths.

Jose said, “He does that when he makes the lead. He doesn’t slow down and he didn’t brush the rail. He’s pretty green. I was ready for it. I knew it was coming. He switched leads on point. He did everything like a pro and opened up. I’m very excited about the way he ran today. Hopefully he matures a little after this.”

A yearling purchase in 2023, Reagan’s Wit broke his maiden impressively this winter at Fair Grounds and finished a close second in the Columbia Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs behind Zulu Kingdom, who went on to win the Grade 1 American Turf on Kentucky Derby Day.