Oscar Performance's Kipros Flashes Home To Take Turf Maiden

Saratoga Maidens, Presented By Keeneland

Well backed at 33-10 to improve for a better-than-it-seemed fourth on career debut over this course and distance July 26, Kipros (c, 2, Oscar Performance–Balance, by Thunder Gulch) was awkward in a few spots in this second go, but absolutely leaped out of the ground with less than a sixteenth of a mile to race and was up on the line to graduate in flashy style Sunday at Saratoga.

The $150,000 Keeneland September yearling drew the inside stall for that career debut last month and shied and cost himself several lengths through the opening exchanges, but he began to figure things out and finished well to be an educational fourth.

The chestnut–whose multiple Grade I-winning dam was a half-sister to the great Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire})–came in at the break yet again and was settled in the second half of the field as longshot Arequipe (Candy Ride {Arg}) went winging up front and built up a sizeable advantage down the backstretch.

For his part, Kipros traveled nicely into the race for Kendrick Carmouche–subbing in for the travel-delayed Dylan Daviss–tugging his way into contention approaching the entrance to the stretch, but he took yet another strange step, bothering a rival in behind, and needed a few strides to re-balance. But once that mission was accomplished, Kipros split horses and whooshed home to just reel in a very game Arequipe. The debuting Ticket to Fame (Oscar Performance) looked to have dead aim on the leader with time ticking away, but was outfinished and settled for third.

“He uncorked a massive rally,” winning trainer Ray Handal told Maggie Wolfendale. “[Kendrick] said he had a ton of horse, kind of lost his footing there, but he really exploded the last 50 yards.”

Handal also calls the shots on the career of the sire's 3-year-old son Heeere's Johnny, victorious in the Saranac Stakes here in July, and has only good things to say about the progeny of Oscar Performance

“[Kipros] is smaller, more compact [than Heeere's Johnny], but they all have big strides. If I could have a barn full of them, I'd be happy,” he said.

A three-time winner at the highest level in the mid-2000s for Amerman Racing and the late David Hofmans, Balance was purchased by this breeder for $130,000 at Keeneland November in 2020. The foal she was carrying at the time became Kipros's full-brother Zverev, SW, $386,599, while another half-sister–Out of Balance (Kitten's Joy)–is responsible for the Amermans' Counterbalance (Caravaggio), victorious in Santa Anita's Listed China Doll Stakes this past March.

In addition to Zenyatta, Balance is a half-sister to SW Where's Bailey (Aljabr) and to 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Eblouissante (Bernardini), the dam of 2023 GII Rebel Stakes hero Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}) and GSP The Process (More Than Ready).

Having not produced a foal in 2025 or 2026, Balance was bred to both Il Miracolo (Gun Runner) and Divisidero (Kitten's Joy) this past season.

3rd-Saratoga, $115,000, Msw, 8-30, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.41, fm, head.
KIPROS (c, 2, Oscar Performance–Balance {MGISW, $1,048,491}, by Thunder Gulch) Sales history: $150,000 Ylg '25 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $70,150. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel Racing.
O-Phillips Stable, Blue Bison Stable, Magic Carpet Racing & Catherine W Coyle; B-Andrew Warren (KY); T-Raymond Handal.

comes flying down the outside and wins R3 at Saratoga for jockey @KendrickCarmou1 and trainer @HandalRacing, pic.twitter.com/SraJPcDGDE

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) August 30, 2026