In the 2024 Transylvania (G3) Presented by Keeneland Select, trainer Rob Atras celebrated his first Keeneland stakes victory with the triumph by Neat.

Fast forward to Friday’s opening day of the 15-day Keeneland Spring Meet and Atras is sitting with another solid contender in Chasing Liberty. He seeks to become the first trainer to saddle the Transylvania winner in back-to-back years.

Owned by Twin Creeks Racing Stable and CMNWLTH, Chasing Liberty has won four of six races and earned $837,301. One of those victories came in the Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile at Sam Houston in January, the same race Neat used as a springboard to the Transylvania.

“He showed right away that he had ability,” Atras said via text of Chasing Liberty. “I thought he would develop into a nice colt.”

Both Neat and Chasing Liberty are sons of Constitution.

“Chasing Liberty does have some similarities to Neat,” Atras said. “But at the same time, he’s a different build and was more mature mentally as a 2-year-old.”

Chasing Liberty tuned up for the Transylvania Presented by Keeneland Select with a :47.60 half-mile work on the main track Saturday. Fourth in the Indian Summer (L) here last fall, Chasing Liberty will be ridden for the first time Friday by Luis Saez and exit post 1.

All six of his races have been over firm turf surfaces, a condition he might not have Friday with heavy rain in the forecast.

“I think the weather is very concerning going into the weekend,” Atras said. “But he is a horse that overcomes obstacles as we have seen before.”