Twilight Gleaming Returns in Style in Giant's Causeway
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Photo: Mathea Kelley
Twilight Gleaming captures the Giant's Causeway Stakes at Keeneland
Exactly one year after Stonestreet Stable's Campanelle parlayed a victory in Keeneland's Giant's Causeway Stakes to a third-place showing at Royal Ascot, the same connections swept the 5 1/2-furlong turf event at Keeneland again April 15 with the nimble-footed Twilight Gleaming .
Trainer Wesley Ward, also the trainer of Campanelle, said whenever there's a "Barbara Banke (owner of Stonestreet Stables) horse involved" in his care when the flowers spout their spring blossoms, Royal Ascot is always the end goal.
"(Twilight Gleaming) been pointing to this race since the fall so we're excited she was able to get it done," Ward said. "Hopefully we can get (to Royal Ascot) and it looks like we are."
The 4-year-old daughter of National Defense , a turf sprint specialist who has never raced beyond 5 1/2 furlongs in 10 trips to the post, could target the Platinum Jubilee (G1) at six furlongs or the five-furlong King's Stand (G1), held over a straight five furlongs. Both races are staged for older horses. Twilight Gleaming will have to face males in either event, something she conquered as a juvenile in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint (G2T) at Del Mar.
Returning from a six-month layoff in the $214,650 Giant's Causeway, Twilight Gleaming made short work over 12 rivals, cruising to a 1 1/2 length score under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.
Sent to post as the favorite at 5-2, Twilight Gleaming broke on top and raced just behind Brendan Walsh trained-Minaun through a quick opening quarter in :21.68. A half-length behind the pacesetter at the three-eighths pole, Twilight Gleaming shouldered past her rival at the top of the stretch and blasted down the lane, widening her advantage.
"Wesley (Ward) gave me the confidence," Ortiz said. "He told me he'd been working the filly off the pace and she'd been training so well with (exercise rider) Julio (Garcia), so he told me, 'Don't be afraid.' Ride her however you want. She has speed but don't be afraid of anything.'"
The sinewy bay stopped the clock in a stakes-record 1:01.74 over a turf course that's been playing lightning fast throughout the spring meet. On April 14, older males felled the turf stakes record in the Maker's Mark Mile (G1T).
In a surprise for second, 87-1 shot Querin Dourada closed from the back of the pack to edge Star Devine in a place photo.
Irish-bred Twilight Gleaming, produced from the Dansili mare Thames Pageant , improved her earnings to $906,580 after Saturday's tally. A five-time stakes winner, she was purchased by Ward's righthand man, bloodstock agent Ben McElroy for the equivalent of $96,931 at the 2020 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale.