Twilight Gleaming Uncatchable in Juvenile Turf Sprint
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Twilight Gleaming (yellow silks, black blinkers) holds on to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar
Trainer Wesley Ward and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. continued their reign over the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T), winning the $1 million race for the third consecutive year when Stonestreet Stables' Twilight Gleaming led from start to finish Nov. 5 at Del Mar.
They previously teamed to win the race with Golden Pal in 2020 with Four Wheel Drive in 2019.
Twilight Gleaming outlasted a late bid from European invader Go Bears Go by a half-length. Kaufymaker , Derrynane , and Averly Jane rounded out the top five placings. Ward trainees ran first, third, and fifth.
REPLAY: TWILIGHT GLEAMING (IRE) wins the $1 Million #BreedersCup Juvenile Turf Sprint on #FutureStarsFriday at @DelMarRacing! Congrats to all of the connections! @StonestreetFarm @iradortiz pic.twitter.com/RSfASsTKNq
— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) November 5, 2021
The winner, an Irish-bred daughter of National Defense bred by Pier House Stud, raced five furlongs on a firm course in :56.24 following fractions of :21.61 and :44.03. She paid $12.40 to win
She became the first filly to win the Juvenile Turf Sprint, which began just a few years ago when the Todd Pletcher-trained Bulletin won the inaugural running in 2018 at Churchill Downs.
This story will be updated.