Twirling Candy's Think Big Sees Out The Mile in the Kelso

When last seen at Saratoga, Godolphin's Think Big (Twirling Candy) was struggling home a well-beaten seventh as the heavy favorite in the GI Jaipur Stakes over 5 1/2 furlongs on June 7. Trying a turf mile for the first time in Saturday's GIII Kelso Stakes, the homebred overcame some trouble when 'TDN Rising Star' Donegal Momentum (Uncle Mo) stumbled and somehow managed not to go down three furlongs from home, then knifed through inside of favored Intellect inside the final sixteenth of a mile to register a mild upset at odds of 13-2.

Settled in midpack as the stretching-out Arzak (Not This Time) was intent on making the lead from Donegal Momentum, Think Big moved up to the inside of GI Woodbine Mile hero Win for the Money (Mohaymen) to be within striking distance at the half-mile marker. Forced to take up when Donegal Momentum appeared to take a bad step when in the think of the pace battle midway on the turn, Think Big was back into the bridle and still in with a chance at the head of the lane. Intellect took a gap between Arzak and Win For the Money in upper stretch and appeared on his way to victory, but he may have thought the race was won, and Think Big and Jose Ortiz flashed home underneath to take it by a length. Win for the Money won a photo for third, while Donegal Momentum–remarkably–remained on his feet and galloped through the lane, appearing uninjured.

A maiden winner on the dirt at Colonial last summer, Think Big annexed his first turf sprint attempt at the Fair Grounds in December and added a February allowance before belying odds of 10-1 in the GII Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland Apr. 8. The bay validated 12-5 favoritism by three-parts of a length in the GII TwinSpires Turf Sprint on the Kentucky Derby undercard May 3, but he was unable to overcome a poor start in the Jaipur and never landed a blow, finishing 5 1/4 lengths adrift of the mare Ag Bullet (Twirling Candy).

“It [the stretch-out] was something that was always on our mind once he loved the grass as much as he did,” said winning trainer Mike Stidham. “At some point, we were going to try stretching him at least up to a mile. After what happened last time where he got off bad and had no chance, we thought, 'OK, here's our chance to do it.'

“He had won two Grade IIs in a row going five and a half [furlongs], so it wasn't something we were going to do out of those races, but when the last race went sideways, we decided now's our chance.”

Donegal Monetum's trainer Tom Morley was counting his lucky stars post-race.

“He went down on his nose, Javier [Castellano] said, 'I was a foot off the ground, he came up underneath me, and galloped through the wire fine, jogged back fine,'” Morley reported. “Thank God he appears to be OK. We'll check him out top to toe obviously, but thank God he appears to be OK.”

Pedigree Notes:

Think Big's dam Always Thinking was a stakes winner over turf sprint trips, having taken out the Sensible Lady Turf Dash at Laurel in 2017. Second dam Que Piensa Cat was a Group 1 winner in her native country and is also responsible for Que Chulo (Bernardini), whose son Sharp Aza Tack (Sharp Azteca) was victorious in the Tyro Stakes going five panels over the Monmouth turf course in 2022.

Always Thinking is also the dam of the dual-winning 3-year-old filly Pondering (Hard Spun), a yearling full-brother to the latter and a filly by Cairo Prince foaled Mar. 21.

THINK BIG rallies up the rail to win the Grade 3 Kelso Stakes and get his fourth win in his last five starts. @jose93_ortiz was the winning rider for trainer Mike Stidham. pic.twitter.com/pc9PLMK2Ru

— NYRA (🗽) (@TheNYRA) July 5, 2025

Saturday, Saratoga
KELSO S.-GIII, $175,000, Saratoga, 7-5, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:32.81, fm.
1–THINK BIG, 124, g, 4, by Twirling Candy
            1st Dam: Always Thinking (SW, $162,638),
                        by Street Sense
            2nd Dam: Que Piensa Cat (Arg), by Easing Along
            3rd Dam: Compenetrada (Arg), by Compatible (Arg)
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Michael Stidham; J-Jose L. Ortiz.
$96,250. Lifetime Record: 11-6-0-1, $809,035. Werk Nick
Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Intellect (Fr), 118, g, 4, Intello (Ger)–Caldera (Ire), by Iffraaj
(GB). (€20,000 Wlg '21 ARQDEC). O-Madaket Stables LLC,
Michael Dubb and Steven Bouchey; B-Ecurie Michel Sardou
(FR); T-Chad C. Brown. $35,000.
3–Win for the Money, 124, g, 6, Mohaymen–Mayakoba,
by War Chant. ($95,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL; $350,000 2yo '21
FTFMAR). O-Live Oak Plantation; B-Kenneth L. & Sarah K.
Ramsey (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $21,000.
Margins: 1, 1 1/4, HD. Odds: 6.50, 1.95, 3.35.
Also Ran: Neat, Mountain Bear (Ire), Arzak, Donegal Momentum. Scratched: Bank Frenzy, Game Warden, Nantasket Beach, Wynstock, Yo Daddy. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.