Tejano Twist Seeks Elusive Count Fleet Win

Recent Whitmore Stakes (G3) winner Tejano Twist  will look to secure his third consecutive victory April 11 at Oaklawn Park in the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3). 

The 7-year-old son of Practical Joke   has competed in three runnings of the 6-furlong sprint, with his best effort coming in 2024 when he finished second. The hard-knocking Chris Hartman trainee has earned just shy of $2 million during his six-year campaign.

"That's the one that always gets away from him," Hartman said about the Count Fleet Sprint. 

Tejano Twist enters the race off a 2-length win in the Whitmore, also at 6 furlongs, just two weeks after a 3 1/2-length victory in an allowance optional claiming race, where he defeated last year's Count Fleet winner Booth .

"That was impressive," Hartman said of the Whitmore performance. "He (Francisco Arrieta) rode him with a lot of confidence, that's for sure."

Booth, who has been winless in his last three starts, will be among Tejano Twist's main rivals Saturday. The 5-year-old son of Mitole   should be fully cranked this weekend for trainer Steve Asmussen after a game effort March 1 behind Tejano Twist. Before that start, Booth had not raced since last July, when he finished second by a nose in the Jeff Hall Memorial Stakes at Ellis Park.

Asmussen has won the Count Fleet seven times.

Florida-bred Roll On Big Joe , winner of the King Cotton Stakes and Ring The Bell Stakes, both at Oaklawn—defeating Tejano Twist both times—will be waiting for a rematch with the veteran gelding. He enters off a bullet work April 3 at The Thoroughbred Center, breezing 4 furlongs in :47 3/5.