Test Winner Kilwin Returns to Turf in Music City Stakes

Following a breakthrough win on dirt in the Test Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, BBN Racing's Kilwin  switches back to turf Sept. 6 in the $2 million Music City Stakes (G2T) at Kentucky Downs.

The versatile Twirling Candy   filly trained by George Arnold II made her first five career starts on turf, including a win in the $1 million Untapable Stakes a year ago at the Franklin, Ky., track. She won her dirt debut going seven furlongs in the 2025 Leslie's Lady Overnight Stakes June 8 at Churchill Downs, then stepped up in class and posted a mild upset in the seven-furlong Test, when she rallied from last to win by a neck in 1:23.10.

The Music City at 6 1/2 furlongs on the grass drew an overflow field of 16 3-year-old fillies, with 12 allowed to start.

Morplay Racing and Qatar Racing's Shisospicy  is slated to make her first start since a trip to the Royal Ascot meeting resulted in a 15th-place finish in the Commonwealth Cup (G1). The Mitole   filly trained by Jose D'Angelo won three turf sprints in a row earlier this year, including a pair of wins going 5 1/2 furlongs in the Limestone Stakes at Keeneland and the Mamzelle Stakes (G3T) at Churchill.

Shisospicy defeated a number of Music City entrants in those two stakes, including Kilwin, who figures to benefit from the move to 6 1/2 furlongs here for the rematch.

European shipper Tabiti , a Juddmonte farms homebred trained by Ralph Beckett, enters off a win in the seven-furlong Oak Tree Stakes July 30 at Goodwood Racecourse. Frankie Dettori, who led all jockeys at the Kentucky Downs meeting with six wins and mount earnings of $2.5 million through Sept. 2, was named to ride the Kingman   filly who is a half to three group stakes winners or placers.

Gun Runner Purse Elevated to $2 Million

One race earlier on the Saturday card, Kentucky Downs has increased the purse of the ungraded Gun Runner Stakes—a mile turf race for 3-year-olds—to $2 million after offering $1.5 million last year.

That likely helped the race draw an overflow 16 entries, with 14 allowed to run. The field is led by Rocker O Ranch's Secretariat Stakes (G2T) winner Giocoso , by Not This Time  , and Qatar Racing's 2024 Summer Stakes (G1T) winner New Century , who is so far winless in 2025. Trainer Brendan Walsh adds blinkers in an attempt to get the grade 1 winner untracked.

Hronis Racing's Namaron , a group 3 winner in Germany who was purchased for $271,260 at the 2025 Goffs London Sale, is scheduled to make his first North American start for trainer John Sadler after a quartet of works at Del Mar.

St. George Stable's Rolando , a Vekoma   colt, could make his first turf start in the Gun Runner. The speedster enters off a four-length victory in the Petramalo Stakes Aug. 9 at Colonial Downs, where he went a mile on dirt in a track record 1:33.55. Rolando has been cross-entered in the $250,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs the same day as the Gun Runner going 1 1/8 miles on dirt.