Diamond Oops Aims for Repeat in Twin Spires Turf Sprint

As usual early in any big race meeting, the contenders arrive from the various points of the compass for the $250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes Presented by Sysco (G2T) on the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) undercard April 30 in the shadow of the actual Twin Spires of Churchill Downs.

Diamond Oops , a 6-year-old Lookin At Lucky   gelding, seeks to repeat last year's victory while making his 2021 debut. To do so and become the first repeat winner of the race, he and jockey Florent Geroux will have to reverse a trend.

Last year's edition was delayed by the pandemic until Sept. 4. Diamond Oops won that affair with a last-to-first move, edging Extravagant Kid  by a neck. Extravagant Kid went on from that race to record a series of impressive performances, including a fourth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Keeneland before winning the Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored by Azizi Developments (G1) in Dubai.

Diamond Oops followed the Churchill Downs score with a win in the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2) on the Keeneland dirt but then tailed off to finish sixth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) and ninth in the Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The Twin Spires Turf Sprint will be his first race back on the grass since the September score.

The others last raced as far afield as Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park, and points in between.

Just Might , third in this race in September, won the Colonel Power Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Feb. 13, beating runner-up Extravagant Kid by five lengths, before tossing in a dud in the Shakertown (G2T) at Keeneland April 3, finishing 10th.

Sombeyay , a 5-year-old entire son of Into Mischief  , invades from Santa Anita where he finished second in the San Simeon Stakes (G3T) in his last race March 13.

Carotari , a 5-year-old gelding by Artie Schiller , was seventh in the 2020 Twin Spires Turf Sprint, which was his final outing of the season. He has two previous starts in 2021—a second in the Pulse Power Turf Sprint Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park and a victory in the Silks Run Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Fast Boat  arrives in Louisville off a win in that Texas sprint after a few months in New Orleans.

Fiya , a Maryland-bred by Friesan Fire  , makes his seasonal bow after closing out 2020 with a win in the Claiming Crown Canterbury Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Classy John , a 5-year-old Songandaprayer  gelding, wintered at Fair Grounds where he won the Costa Rising Stakes in his most recent start March 20. Johnny Unleashed , a 4-year-old Colonel John  gelding, reported fourth in the Shakertown after opening his 2021 campaign with a win over the Turfway Park Tapeta surface.

Ambassador Luna  is a relative homebody with his final four starts of 2020 in Kentucky but ships north after wintering in Florida. Smart Remark  has early-season outings at Gulfstream Park and Keeneland.

The award for most-traveled goes to Guildsman , a French-bred gelding by Wootton Bassett , who has competed in England, Ireland, France, and Canada before arriving on the Kentucky circuit, where he won the Franklin-Simpson Stakes (G3T) at Kentucky Downs last September.

Entries: Twin Spires Turf Sprint S. presented by Sysco (G2T)

Churchill Downs, Friday, April 30, 2021, Race 10

• Grade IIT
• 5 1/2f
• Turf
• $250,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:55 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Johnny Unleashed (KY)	Gerardo Corrales	122	Eric N. Foster	10/1
2	2Guildsman (FR)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	122	Brendan P. Walsh	10/1
3	3Fiya (MD)	Luis Saez	122	Thomas Albertrani	4/1
4	4Classy John (LA)	Tyler Gaffalione	122	Dallas Stewart	20/1
5	5Just Might (KY)	Colby J. Hernandez	122	Michelle Lovell	8/1
6	6Ambassador Luna (FL)	James Graham	117	James M. Gulick	50/1
7	7Smart Remark (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	122	Victoria H. Oliver	30/1
8	8Fast Boat (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Joe Sharp	7/2
9	9Diamond Oops (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Patrick L. Biancone	5/1
10	10Sombeyay (KY)	Flavien Prat	122	Peter Miller	4/1
11	11Carotari (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	122	Brian A. Lynch	6/1