By the age of 7, most non-geldings have long headed for retirement to stud. Not Liberty Gold.

Yesterday, the veteran son of Crafty Prospector, who’s been bouncing around racetracks in New York, Florida and Kentucky seemingly forever, scored the first stakes victory of his career in the Grade 3, $100,000 Aqueduct Handicap, coming from off the pace over the sloppy track to score by 21/4 lengths.

Coyote Lakes was along late to nip Talk’s Cheap for second in a photo finish.

“Our goal was to get a graded stakes win for him for stallion purposes,” said Sue Griffis, assistant to Liberty Gold’s trainer, Rusty Arnold. “The pace set up for him and he loves the slop. He’ll keep running as long as he comes out of his races OK.”

Bare Outline, who looked like the lone speed, went right to the front, but he was never able to shake loose from Fire King and Talk’s Cheap through quick (:22.3, :46.3) early fractions. Around the far turn Talk’s Cheap surged to a brief lead, but Liberty Gold was on the move from off the pace.

Sling-shotting out of the turn into the stretch, he easily assumed command in midstretch and drew clear under Joe Bravo.

“He’s a great horse and he was tons the best,” Bravo said. “They were moving pretty fast up front, and that definitely played to our advantage. As soon as I asked him he took off.”

Liberty Gold paid $7 as the favorite, keying a $24.40 exacta after running the mile and a sixteenth in 1:42.1.