Two Sharp Sizzles Off the Bench to Take Winning Colors

You never know how a horse is going to come back off a layoff, but Two Sharp  had been giving trainer Phil Bauer and his team all the signs they wanted to see in the week leading up to the $250,000 Winning Colors Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs May 26.

"The last week, we were giving each other winks in the barn," Bauer said. "She knew it was coming close.".

She lived up to those expectations and her name by being sharp away from the gate and cruising to a 3 1/2-length triumph.

The 4-year-old Twirling Candy   filly out of the winning Distorted Humor mare Double Sharp  had last faced the starter Nov. 23 when taking the field gate-to-wire in the one-mile Chilukki Stakes (G3) by 5 3/4 lengths. Given a freshening to close out her year, she returned to the work tab in mid-April, showing all signs she'd be back up to the graded challenge Monday.

However, there is still a bit of concern in the back of a trainer's mind that maybe they are not ready. Bauer experienced that when regular rider Junior Alvarado had to pull out the crop entering the stretch. After all, she had just blazed through opening fractions of :21.14 and :43.99 unchallenged.

"Horses as talented as she is in the mornings, you're worried that she's fooling you with just how easy she's doing it, how ready she is," Bauer said. "When she went that fast for a half-mile, I was concerned, maybe when Junior had to go after the stick, that she was running out of gas. But she responded and got the job done."

Tasked to stay focused by Alvarado, who was making his return to Churchill Downs for the first time since winning the Kentucky Derby (G1) aboard Sovereignty  May 3, Two Sharp continued her powerful performance to the wire despite being chased by two-time grade 3 winner and grade 1-placed Hope Road  and grade 1 winner Brightwork .

Benedetta , a 23-1 longshot, was also mounting a rally and would pass Hope Road for second, but they never truly threatened Two Sharp as she stopped the clock in 1:08.75. She paid $5.82 to win.

"It's not how fast you're going, it's how you're going fast," Alvarado yelled to Bauer as he entered the winner's circle.

When Two Sharp entered the winner's circle, she met the cheers and jubilation of the large Rigney Racing entourage. Richard Rigney said that winning on days like Memorial Day, when many friends and family can join, is always extra special.

"Originally it was just two of us and then it grew," Rigney said of the about 40 people he hosted in the Finish Line Suites Monday afternoon. He had just returned from Tampa, Fla., that morning and only started extending invitations the day before the race.

"It's been wonderful," Rigney continued. "We love running at Churchill and people at Churchill have been great to us. We're just very fortunate to have a horse that's this good. (To go) 43 and change (for a half-mile), and you win the race, you're pretty good. We're very thrilled."

Bred in Kentucky by Woods Edge Farm, Rigney purchased Two Sharp for $925,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. She has now earned back $518,218 through six starts.

The victory was a bit of vindication for the filly, who had suffered both career defeats at the six-furlong distance. Her three starts at either 6 1/2 furlongs or one mile had been won by a combined 23 1/4 lengths.

Longer options are certainly in play down the road for the two-time grade 3 winner, but an immediate target had yet to be determined. Bauer pointed to the seven-furlong Chicago Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs June 21 as a possibility, but was not committing completely. The main focus is notching a grade 1 victory at some point this season.

"She's grade 1 talent. That's the goal, to get that accomplished," Bauer said. "She's a horse that you rarely come by. We're going to savor these moments and cross our fingers that we have plenty more with her. We're truly blessed to have her in our stable and proud of the barn for the job they did getting her ready off the layoff."

Video: Winning Colors S. (G3)