AJ Will Win Stables' hard-trying, gritty and determined Barbadian Runner made his 4-year-old stakes debut a winning one when he held off a furious rally by Adero to take the $125,000 Deputed Testamony Stakes by a nose at Laurel Park on Saturday, June 27.

Regular rider Forest Boyce positioned Barbadian Runner outside of early leader Catalytic out of the gate. While Catalytic set pedestrian fractions of :25.42, :50.48 and 1:15.90 -- the slowest splits Barbadian Runner had seen since last year's Maryland Million Classic at the same mile and an eighth distance -- Barbadian Runner kept close, about a length back.

"Those are nice horses, a solid group," Boyce said after the race. "Today, the dirt is so quick, and we needed to be close. Luckily, he's willing to do it right now. I appreciate him stepping up to the plate and being ready to run it a little differently than he normally would."

Rounding the far turn, Barbadian Runner ranged up alongside the leader and entered the stretch with a slight lead. He looked home free until Adero took aim down the center of the track and pulled alongside with a sixteenth of a mile to go. The two battled to the wire, with Barbadian Runner getting there first, stopping the clock in 1:52.90.

"Fortunately, it was a slow enough pace," said trainer Henry Walters. "I thought he'd have something left, and he did. He's so versatile. If the early pace was fast, he'd kick in when he's supposed to. He's a very easy horse to manage."

Walters has sent out Barbadian Runner to win nine of 23 starts, with seven seconds and four thirds, the majority in stakes competition. Last year's Maryland-bred champion 3-year-old male recorded six stakes wins in 2025, including the Maryland Million Classic in his first start against older runners, including Post Time, and the $500,000 Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes at Charles Town, the beginning of a three-stakes win streak.

After finishing second to Post Time in the Robert T. Manfuso Stakes in December -- his 12th start of the year -- Barbadian Runner got time off. He returned May 8 in a Charles Town allowance at seven furlongs, but his rally came up a neck short when second off slow fractions. He was back in the winner's circle after scoring a Laurel allowance at a mile and an eighth by a widening five lengths on May 30.

Barbadian Runner is one of those true Cinderella stories. Scott Groh, who races as AJ Will Win Stables, purchased him for $5,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic fall yearling sale and has seen his earnings grow to $932,050.

Bred by Shamrock Farm, Barbadian Runner is a son of former Shamrock Farm stallion Barbados and the fourth winner from four named foals out of the unraced Northern Afleet mare Quiet Run. His older full brother Sue Loves Barbados (a foal of 2018), has banked $245,929.