Adam Kluger, the man who runs Run Fast Racing, wanted to give Lil Yachty the thrill of watching a horse the rap star was invested in win a race at a place such as Del Mar during the summer of 2025. Easy as pie, right? All Kluger had to do was buy a horse for $30,000, drop him into a $10,000 claimer, and smile for the camera, even though losing him would be a sure thing.
Only problem was, the race overfilled and the horse in question—let's call him Listenupshance—ended up running in an $80,000 optional claimer at a 5 furlongs on the Del Mar grass instead, shunned at odds of 17-1.
Then he wins, and the script is flipped on its head.
"We're not even supposed to have this horse," Kluger said. "He was bought to drop and lose. If that race had not overfilled, we would not own this horse. The narrative is so wild."
So was the scene unfolding behind Kluger as he stood by the Del Mar winner's circle at the end of a sunny July 25 afternoon. With members of the Great Friends Stables, a throng of Run Fast investors, most of them fledgling fans in for $100 apiece for a share of the stable, had just witnessed Listenupshance win the $401,500 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) by a nose over a relentless Maximum Bourbon and, as part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In, earn a fees-paid berth for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) Oct. 31 at Keeneland.
In taking the Crosby, Listenupshance confirmed the form he displayed at Saratoga Race Course in early June at the end of the 6 1/2-furlong True North Stakes (G3) when he was lapped on sprint division leaders Book'em Danno and Bentornato.
With its mixed bag of proven veterans such as Dr. Venkman and Stronghold, along with favored Cornucopian, easy winner of the San Carlos Stakes (G3) in his most recent California start, the race could have gone a number of ways.
"I'm just hoping for a lot of them to go, and we come with a good run that sets us up for races later on," said Peter Miller, who sent forth Moonlight, the longest shot in the field at 47-1.
Miller got his wish, as the invader Mad House and Sonny Leon—making his Del Mar debut—tore off quickly from the gate to lead through an opening quarter in :21.88.
He was not alone. In the True North, Listenupshance broke poorly and rushed up to challenge for the pace. This time, he left the gate like a pro for Emisael Jaramillo and set up shop alongside Mad House, while Cornucopian and Maximum Bourbon stalked within range.
Listenupshance edged to the front turning for home, although Mad House refused to go quietly, and Maximum Bourbon began to roll.
Inside the final furlong, the daylight enjoyed by Listenupshance began to disappear, but he had just enough to put his dark brown nose on the wire first, stopping the timer in 1:09.33. Just as Miller had hoped, Moonlight came flying late to finish third, a length in front of Mad House.
Unfortunately, Cornucopian was pulled up on the turn by Juan Hernandez, who felt the colt go wrong in an ankle. The son of Into Mischief , a $1.1 million yearling, was vanned off for evaluation.
Doug O'Neill trains Listenupshance, a 4-year-old son of Shancelot out of the Hard Spun mare Listenupnow. The trainer has been at this level before with exciting sprinters—most famously 2006 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Thor's Echo—but in Kluger and his army of $100 investors, O'Neill might have a tiger by the tail.
Kluger, 40, manages talents such as Lil Yachty and Lil Wayne.
"I got arrested when I was underage because I kept going back and betting at a Tampa Bay greyhound track," Kluger said. "I became a horse owner about six years ago. I couldn't figure out why horse racing had such a negative connotation with young people. It's been my goal to make it more accessible to everyone, and to let people enjoy the vanity of the sport. For their $100, they get the thrill of the experience and none of the hassle. And, on a day like this, there's champagne, and a trip to the Breeders' Cup."
Listenupshance is the first grade 1 winner and black-type winner for third-crop sire Shancelot.
Video: Bing Crosby S. (G1)
Splits
Baltic Fire took a step up in class, Public Assembly slid down a notch, and the two mares met at the end of the $101,000 Osunitas Stakes in a thriller of a slam-bang finish earlier on the Saturday card. The neck decision went to Baltic Fire, a daughter of Flameaway owned by BAG Racing Stables and WSS Racing and trained by Jeff Mullins. Winning rider Kyle Frey also teamed with Mullins to take Del Mar's opening-day Oceanside Handicap with the impressive 3-year-old turf specialist Proletariat by Raging Bull .
Baoma Corp.'s homebred Domus put the Del Mar Futurity (G1) squarely in his sights with a 5 1/2-length maiden win going 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.23. It was the colt's first start, which is probably why he wanted to lean into the rail late, keeping Juan Hernandez busy with his left. Bob Baffert trains the son of Uncle Mo, who is out of the graded stakes-placed Orb mare Der Lu.
