Tejano Twist Upsets Bango in Bet on Sunshine

For a moment, Bango  looked as if the Churchill Downs win record was well within his reach.

And then came Tejano Twist , storming from the back of the pack and sweeping by the 3-5 favorite in the final sixteenth for the victory in the Nov. 4 $300,000 Bet on Sunshine Stakes.

After finishing behind Bango in his last two starts, Tejano Twist turned the tables on his rival with his second stakes win of the year. A notorious closer, Tejano Twist trailed the field of 9 early under jockey Chris Landeros as Sir Alfred James  posted opening splits of :21.75 and :44.73. The Practical Joke   gelding circled seven-wide around the turn for home and rallied powerfully down the center of the track, a closing Miles Ahead  and Joe Talamo clinging to his hip.

Tejano Twist kicked clear of Miles Ahead late for a 1 1/2-length tally in a final time of 1:09.27 on a fast main track.

“I’m really proud of how he ran tonight," Landeros said of Tejano Twist. "He broke a little slow but they went pretty fast up front. Turning for home I was loaded and he really came home strong.”

Bango, the 3-5 favorite, settled for third in his quest for the elusive 12th Churchill Downs win.

Owned by JD Thoroughbreds and Joey Keith Davis, Tejano Twist is trained by Chris Hartman. He boosted his earnings past the million-dollar mark after the Bet on Sunshine, boasting a bankroll of $1,092,104.

Video: Bet on Sunshine S. (BT)