He Is No Lie flashes, fastest 4 1/2-furlong debut in five years

He Is No Lie did more than win his first start at Santa Anita. The Early Voting colt burst clear in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on dirt and stopped the clock in 51.88 seconds, a debut that was fast enough to stand out as the quickest at the distance in more than five years.

Sent off the 2-5 favorite, He Is No Lie justified the heavy support immediately despite a wide draw. Jonny’s Cap applied the first pressure, but only briefly, and Emisael Jaramillo was able to sit almost motionless while the colt took control on the turn. From there, the race was over. He Is No Lie kept extending his advantage through the lane and crossed the wire 8 lengths clear of six California-bred rivals, with the final sixteenth indicating there may have been even more left in reserve.

The visual impression matched the number on the clock. He Is No Lie was wrapped up late, not asked to prove how deep his tank really ran, and that matters when a colt is trying to separate himself from the usual pile of first-time starters. The race also produced a significant milestone for his sire: it was Early Voting’s first winner from his first starter, and Thoroughbred Daily News identified He Is No Lie as the stallion’s first TDN Rising Star. For a young sire still building his résumé, that kind of debut is the sort that can quickly change perception.

Pedigree gives the performance extra weight. He Is No Lie is a Kentucky-bred dark bay/brown colt foaled April 1, 2024, out of Truth in the Lies by Hold Me Back. His sire, Early Voting, won the 2022 Preakness Stakes and stands at Taylor Made Stallions near Nicholasville, Kentucky, where his advertised 2026 fee is $12,500. The colt also arrived with market support after bringing $150,000 at the OBS March two-year-old sale, where the under-tack shows ran March 4-7 and the auction followed March 10-12.

Doug O’Neill now has a colt who looked less like a modest maiden winner and more like a horse with stakes intent. Owned by Purple Rein Racing, Barton, Buss and Mark D. Davis, He Is No Lie has already announced himself as a name to follow, and the next step will come after O’Neill and the ownership group sort out a plan for a colt who looked ready for something bigger than a basic debut.