OZONE PARK, N.Y. – John Velazquez thought his best chance for success in Friday’s $135,000 Carle Place Stakes was to have his horse in a forward position. He had a more-than-willing partner in Run Carson.

Sent to the front out of the gate by Velazquez, Run Carson ran fast fractions early – he went the half-mile in 43.97 seconds – and he kept on going, taking the Carle Place by two lengths over Live High Live Low. In the process, he just missed an Aqueduct inner turf course record as he covered six furlongs in 1:06.85, just :12 off the course record of 1:06.72 set by Outlaw Kid in July.

Run Carson, a son of Maclean’s Music owned by Tom McCrocklin and NBS Stable who purchased the colt from Legacy Bloodstock at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton October sale. He’s the 13th Stakes-winning grad from Tommy and Wyndee Eastham’s Legacy Bloodstock in 2024.

Velazquez said trainer Kelsey Danner didn’t give him any instructions.

“I told her if he breaks I’m not going to take away what comes easy,” Velazquez said. “She was like ‘I’m not riding, you’re riding,’ she said ‘whatever you do, do.’ “

Velazquez said he knew early that Run Carson was revved.

“He was on the bridle already,” Velazquez said. “I was like, ‘okay, don’t fight me so much.’ I had him [held] tight the best I could and I dropped to the rail and he got stronger, I was like ‘damn it, I should have stayed off the rail.’ ”

Velazquez said Run Carson got a little bit of a breather nearing the quarter pole and when he asked Run Carson to run in the stretch, he complied.

“It’s nice when you have a horse like this, they go fast the first part and you ask him again and they give you a little more,” Velazquez said. “It was very nice, a lot of fun.”

Danner, who watched the race from Keeneland, said she figured Run Carson would be on the lead, though she was surprised to see him going that fast.

“Carson likes to be up there,” Danner said. “He broke bad the other day. I thought with a clean break he’s going to be on the lead or very close to it. I was hoping he’d be going a little slower. Obviously, we were going a little bit farther today, but it gets a little speedy up there this time of year. When he was clear and didn’t have any pressure, I didn’t think he was going to stop.”

Among the options for Run Carson’s next start is the $250,000 Holiday Cheer Stakes over Turfway Park’s synthetic surface on Dec. 14.