Outstander beat older sprinters at their game in the $50,000 Lite The Fuse Stakes yesterday at Laurel Park.

Dismissed as the next-to-last choice in the field of five, the 3-year-old colt, who is a two-time stakes winner, popped to the lead and out-dueled both Sassy Hound and Shake You Down to capture the six-furlong test in 1:09.

Favorite Sassy Hound narrowly saved the place from late-closing Deer Run.

Jozbin Santana was aboard Outstander for the colt's second stakes win at Laurel Park. The Rodney Jenkins trainee won the Horatius Stakes here in March.

"My horse broke really sharp," Santana said. "I was just sitting on him and he did it perfectly. I expected one or two horses to go in front of me, but because he was going so easily, I let him run his race."

Said Jenkins: "This horse likes Laurel a lot. If he finds a surface he likes, he's extremely fast, as you saw today. I'll have to see how he comes out of this race, but it is not out of the question to think about the De Francis Dash. I'll nominate him.

"He's getting very good and he had to carry 121 pounds today, so I would almost have to think we'd drop a little bit of weight in that spot. You never know until you try that kind."