Calvin Nguyen and Joey C. Tran’s ultra-talented turf sprinter Ag Bullet will return to Kentucky Downs in an attempt to protect her title in the 14th running of the Grade 1, $1.75 million Never Say Die Ladies Turf Sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and upward going 6 ½ furlongs on Saturday, August 29.
The Ladies Turf Sprint is one of three stakes carded for Opening Day for the 2026 1/ST BET Kentucky Downs Meet, which also includes the $750,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint and the $500,000 Tight Spot Overnight Handicap.
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Ag Bullet, a 6-year-old Twirling Candy mare, captured the last two editions of the Ladies Sprint, earning a career-high 106 Beyer Speed Figure from her 2024 conquest by 5 ¼ lengths, before besting next-out Grade 1-winner Simply in Front in last year’s running by a three-quarters of a length.
Trainer Richard Baltas is no stranger to success at Kentucky Downs. In addition to Ag Bullet, he has sent out Next Shares (Old Friends in 2018), Insta Erma (Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf in 2018), and Ms Bad Behavior (Grade 3 Ladies Turf in 2019) to stakes triumphs over the Franklin turf course.
“I’ve won a lot of races and several stakes over there,” Baltas said. “I think the horses really like the open area that they have there. I just think the horses are happy there this time of the year. I’ve had a lot of luck there.”
Through a bankroll of $3,077,228, Ag Bullet brags a highly consistent record of 18-8-2-3 which also includes a triumph against males in last year’s Grade 1 Jaipur at Saratoga, where she defeated Graded stakes-winning millionaire My Boy Prince by two lengths. Her lone start this year was a runner-up effort in this year’s Jaipur on June 6.
“This has been the plan all along to bring her back here,” Baltas said. “In the Jaipur, she was just ready at that time, and she ran a great second. She ran against the boys last year and beat them then, and she got a Grade 1 win out of that, but it would mean a lot to get another Grade 1 win.”
Ag Bullet is a spotless 5-for-5 going the 6 ½-furlong distance, which also includes a maiden victory in January 2023 at Santa Anita when conditioned by George Papaprodromou, as well as a win in the Grade 3 Monrovia in April 2024.
Asmussen Saddles Zeitlos
Jockey Florent Geroux, a two-time Ladies Turf Sprint winning rider, will have the mount from post 4.
Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen will be represented by Peter Leidel’s dual surface specialist Zeitlos, who will spin back off just over two weeks’ rest for Saturday’s race. The 6-year-old Curlin mare won the Smart and Fancy on August 14 over a yielding turf at Saratoga last out, one month following a runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Caress over the same course.
Zeitlos boasts earnings of $1,562,740 through a 29-10-7-3 record, which includes multiple stakes conquests on dirt. During her 4-year-old season, she captured the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America at Keeneland, and also won Churchill Downs’ Open Mind and Roxelana the same year.
Breaking from post 3, Zeitlos will be ridden by Julien Leparoux, who guided Sky Treasure to a Ladies Turf Sprint triumph in 2015.
Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. will send out a pair of Graded stakes-winning 5-year-old mares for the Ladies Turf Sprint, including Graded stakes winner In Our Time [post 9, Micah Husbands] who was a winner at last year’s Kentucky Downs meet.
Owned by Resolute Racing and Miller Racing, the 5-year-old daughter of leading sire Not This Time was an allowance optional claiming winner going 6 ½ furlongs, just over a week following a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf. Third in the Grade 2 Caress last out, In Our Time made the grade three starts back in the Grade 2 Giant’s Causeway on April 12 at Keeneland.
Ken Ramsey’s Movin’ On Up [post 1, Cristian Torres] will attempt two consecutive Graded wins, entering from a 1 ¼-length conquest over Zeitlos and In Our Time in the Grade 2 Caress. Last year, the 5-year-old Accelerate mare collected a pair of Graded placings when third in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile and the Grade 3 Mint Julep, both at Churchill Downs, following a victory in the Sand Springs at Gulfstream Park.
Vina Arana Comes in Off Win in G2 Nassau
Trainer Jack Sisterson will saddle last out Graded stakes-winner Vina Arana [post 11, Adam Beschizza] following a triumph in the Grade 2 Nassau on July 19 at Woodbine. The 5-year-old daughter of Make Believe was a four-length winner of the one-mile test, which came following a sharp third in the Grade 3 Mint Julep at Churchill Downs. A win would make Vina Arana the first Irish-bred to win the Ladies Turf Sprint since Campanelle in 2022. She is owned by Sterling Stables and MHM Stables.
Rabbah Racing’s Group 3-winner Sayidah Dariyan [post 8, Brian Hernandez, Jr.] will ship across the pond from Great Britain, following a narrow second beaten a neck in the Group 3 Oak Tree on July 29 at Goodwood. Also an Irish-bred, the 4-year-old Dariyan filly from the yard of trainer Richard Highes captured last year’s Group 3 Summer going six furlongs at York in her most recent win.
Rounding out the field are Graded stakes winner Love Cervere [post 2, Luan Machado], dual Graded stakes-winner Time to Dazzle [post 5, Dylan Davis], Grade 1-placed Graded stakes-winner Jody’s Pride [post 6, Francisco Arrieta], multiple Graded stakes-placed Cloe [post 7, Ben Curtis], Graded stakes-winner Spirited Boss [post 10, Mike Smith], and multiple Graded stakes-placed Buttercream Babe [post 12, Axel Concepcion].
Carded as Race 7 on Saturday’s 11-race program, the Ladies Turf Sprint has a scheduled post time of 4:40 PM CT.
