Unraced since something went wrong when eighth in last September's GII Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs, Kilwin returned off the layoff Sunday to win the Twin Bridges Stakes at Ellis Park.
A dual-surface star as a 3-year-old, the GI Test Stakes winner passed through the sales rings late last year, going for $3 million to Rick Howard who now races the daughter of Twirling Candy in partnership with BBN Racing LLC.
Returning to Ellis Park for the first time since breaking her maiden on debut nearly two years ago, Kilwin lacked any early foot in this six-furlong spot after getting the worse end of a chain reaction at the break. The 3-1 second choice behind Cash Call had to wait at the back for her opportunity and then spin off the turn around the entire field with less than a quarter mile to run. Cash Call hit the lead down the stretch but Kilwin was coming and made the pass with little effort, sprinting off to win easily by 2 1/4 lengths.
One of 68 stakes winners for Twirling Candy, Kilwin is out an unraced Blame first dam who has also produced the likes of GSW One Timer (Trappe Shot) and GSW/GISP Just Basking (Arrogate). The mare is herself a half to GI Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston (Awesome Again). Spanish Star has a 2-year-old Flightline filly named Starry Flight, a yearling filly by Cody's Wish and a full-sister to Kilwin born this year. She was covered by Gun Runner for 2027.
TWIN BRIDGES S., $175,000, Ellis, 7-19, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:09.12, gd.
1–KILWIN, 122, f, 4, Twirling Candy–Spanish Star, by Blame.
($225,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $575,000 RNA 2yo '24 KEECHA;
$3,000,000 3yo '25 KEENOV). O-BBN Racing, LLC and Rick
Howard; B-Gilder-Schwarz Farms LLC (KY); T-George R. Arnold
II; J-Edgar Morales. $106,208. Lifetime Record: GISW, 9-5-1-0,
$1,212,076. *1/2 to Just Basking (Arrogate), GSW & GISP,
$424,856 and One Timer (Trappe Shot), GSW-USA, SW &
GSP-Can, $1,066,529.
2–Cash Call, 122, f, 4, McKinzie–D'fashion, by D'wildcat.
($65,000 RNA Ylg '23 KEESEP; $600,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR).
O-Edward A. Childs; B-Brent & Beth Harris (KY); T-Bob Baffert.
$34,825.
3–Evanescence, 122, f, 4, Munnings–Lovely Carina,
by Pioneerof the Nile. ($250,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Green
Lantern Stables LLC; B-Stud TNT, LLC (KY); T-Eddie Kenneally.
$17,413.
Margins: 2 1/4, NK, 2 3/4. Odds: 3.18, 1.79, 2.25.
Also Ran: Benedetta, Jersey Pearl, Asternia. Scratched: Echo Sound, One Magic Philly, Pistol, Tapit Quick. Click for the Equibase.com chart.
The 3rd running of the $175,000 Twin Bridges Stakes @EllisParkRacing goes to .
The 4yo daughter of Twirling Candy returns to the races for trainer Rusty Arnold and wins convincingly under Edgar Morales.#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/ebSnmZupen
— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) July 19, 2026
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
