Diamond Oops, Geroux Take Twin Spires Turf Sprint
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Photo: Coady Photography
Diamond Oops wins the Twin Spires Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs
About a half-hour after winning the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) for the second time, jockey Florent Geroux found himself back in the winner's circle at Churchill Downs.
After guiding Shedaresthedevil to a surprising victory in the Louisville track's famed race for 3-year-old fillies, Geroux made it three graded stakes wins in a row by guiding Diamond Oops from last in a field of 12 to take the $250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes Presented by Sysco (G2T) to close the Sept. 4 card. Geroux also guided Monomoy Girl to victory in the La Troienne Stakes Presented by Oak Grove Racing and Gaming (G1) among his five wins Friday.
Owned by Diamond 100 Racing Club, Amy Dunne, D P Racing, and Patrick Biancone Racing and trained by Biancone, Diamond Oops made a successful return to turf sprinting in notching a neck victory over Extravagant Kid after a lively stretch battle.
"Oh my god, this horse is everything to me. I mean, he's my best friend. Every time I feel like he hears me scream, I feel like he runs. I could pass out. I feel like I'm going to throw up. He's amazing," said Andie Biancone, Patrick's daughter and assistant trainer. "He's so tough. He's so honest. He always tries. I knew he was going to get there. I can't believe it."
Just Might was a length back in third, grabbing the show spot by a neck over 46-1 shot Chaps.
A 5-year-old Lookin At Lucky gelding, Diamond Oops ($10) won for the sixth time in 15 starts. It was his first turf sprint since June 2019 when the son of the Whywhywhy mare Patriotic Viva finished fifth in the Jaipur Invitational Stakes (G1T) at six furlongs.
Though Diamond Oops was coming off a second in a June 13 handicap race and a fourth in the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Presented by Runhappy (G1), both on the main track at Gulfstream Park, his three previous starts on turf included a second in the 2019 Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (G1T).
As a 3-year-old, he only started once.
"The vets told us that he would never come back. My dad never gave up on him. I've traveled everywhere with him. I'm his exercise rider. He's taken me everywhere. I'm just so thankful for him. My dad really deserves this. I'm so happy," Andie Biancone said.
Geroux broke from the rail with Diamond Oops and kept him along the inside while moving up quickly on the turn. Forced to shift out a path to avoid the tiring Wellabled at the top of the stretch, Geroux was able to quickly shift back to the rail and then surged past a determined Extravagant Kid and jockey Tyler Gaffalione in the final sixteenth.
Extravagant Kid, a 7-year-old Kiss the Kid gelding owned by DARRS and trained by Brendan Walsh, rallied from eighth and shifted four paths wide in the stretch to grab a narrow lead leaving the eighth pole.
The final time for the 5 1/2 furlongs was 1:04.18 on a good turf course.
"He ran his race today. It was unfortunate he got nailed on the wire after putting in that kind of performance. You hope to get the win. But you can't knock him. He tries hard every time," Gaffalione said.
Extravagant Kid has 14 wins and 12 seconds in 44 starts.
Geroux's other wins came in a maiden race aboard Travel Column and an allowance race on Flabbergasted.