Keeneland Picks: Twirling Ridge Takes On Ward Duo

We’ve got four baby races in the books in this young Keeneland meet, and Wesley Ward has visited the Winner’s Circle twice. On Friday, his odds-on favorite could not run down Folk Song, who was all grit, handing trainer Justin Wojcznski his first Keeneland Spring meet victory with a juvenile. Today’s affair has eight entered, including one filly and seven colts. Only five trainers will be represented as we’ve got two each from Ward, McEntee, and John A. Hancock. Galilean is the lone First-Crop sire with #5 Talmadge.

Keeneland Race 1 for Sunday By The 2YO EdgeMan

#1 Twirling Ridge (8/1)

This Twirling Candy (18.2%) colt is out of an Eskendereya mare that was winless in 12 tries. She’s thrown four other foals of racing age, two won as 2YOs in a MSW race, one as a First-Time starter, and one that scored on his second outing. Today’s runner RNAed as a yearling for $30,000. John Hancock has worked him four times, with the most recent three all half-mile drills here at Keeneland. His best was probably his first when he went three panels in 35.6 seconds from the gate at Turfway Park (2/38).

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#2 Ohoopee (7/2)

Ward’s ‘other’ runner in this event is a filly by Bee Jersey (12.7%). Hat Creek Racing picked him out of the yearling sales for $11,000 (4/6). Mom was one for seven on the track and has produced three other foals of racing age. ‘The Maestro’ begin her with a breeze at Turfway before he shipped her here to Lexington for three morning efforts. Her first at KEE was a bullet covering three panels in 35.6 seconds (1/13).

#3 Baytown Wonder (20/1)

The first of two that McEntee will saddle is a colt sired by Candy Ride (10.0%). Paul plucked this guy out of the sales ring as a yearling for $6,500 (45/46). His mare, by Birdstone, was unraced, however, she’s responsible for four other foals of racing age, including Brererton’s Baytown. That colt won as a baby in his seventh start, but has gone on to compete in the recent Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby. Today’s runner has worked twice at Turfway and most recently at Keeneland.

#4 Mr. Vaggio (9/2)

As you may have guessed, Carvaggio (17.2%) is the stud that produced this colt from a Broken Vow dam who was a winner at age two in her third start. Today’s guy is the second foal from mom. He was an RNA last year when his owner was asking $45,000. John Hancock is the conditioner, and he’s put him through his paces in the morning twice, once and Turfway and once here at Keeneland when he went four furlongs in 47.8 seconds from the gate (5/16).

#9 Diblasi (4/5)

Wesley’s heavy hitter in this event is a colt from second-crop sire, Win Win Win (18.4%). His mare, by Islan, never raced, but has tossed two foals, and both were successful as two-year-olds. This guy demanded $100K when he was a yearling (3/20). Ward has pumped four works into this dude with the last three coming here at KEE, each covering three poles. His penultimate drill was speedy, as he went in 34.4 seconds (1/10).

The Pick

We’ll have to beat two Wards, but let’s take a shot because picking him is what everyone else does. Breaking along the fence is not the best, but my pick is #1 Twirling Ridge. Although mom was not much of a runner on the track, her offspring have been precocious. Dad is no Swiss cheese either ($60,000 stud fee in 2025), scoring with 18.2% of his babies over the past five years in MSW affairs. I like that this fella has drilled a half-mile three times, and his last spin was visually impressive as he looked like he did it very easily and galloped out strong.