Twirling Candy’s Fionn Nips Nitrogen In the Belmont Oaks

[Wandering Eyes]

The white-hot Flavien Prat conjured up one final lunge from second favorite FIONN (f, 3, Twirling Candy–Gaelic Gold, by Giant's Causeway) and nabbed long-odds on choice Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) right on the wire to take out Saturday's $500,000 GI Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. It was the fifth victory on the program for the reigning Eclipse Award-winning jockey.

Opulent Restraint (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) won the break and stepped away to open a clear lead turning down the back from Totally Justified (Justify) and a three-wide Nitrogen as Prat settled Fionn in her slipstream. Continuing to follow Nitrogen's every move around the second turn and passing the quarter pole, Fionn was produced wide into the lane as Opulent Restraint refused to lie down at the fence. Nitrogen finally managed to put her nose in front of her gray rival inside the final furlong, with Fionn still a couple of lengths adrift, but Prat kept busy on his mount and threw her across the line, establishing a new course-record time of 1:44.84 for the nine furlongs on a turf course that has been producing fast times over the first three days of the July 4th Festival.

Fionn is an 11th Grade I winner for her sire, who also provided GIII Kelso Stakes hero Think Big.

Saturday, Saratoga
BELMONT OAKS INVITATIONAL S.-GI, $500,000, Saratoga, 7-5, 3yo, f, 1 1/8mT, 1:44.84, fm.
1–FIONN, 121, f, 3, by Twirling Candy
                1st Dam: Gaelic Gold, by Giant's Causeway
                2nd Dam: Strike It Rich, by Unbridled's Song
                3rd Dam: Belle of Perintown, by Dehere
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($75,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-George Messina and Michael Lee; B-Dixiana Farms LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 7-5-1-1, $624,270. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Nitrogen, 121, f, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
                1st Dam: Tiffany Case (SP), by Uncle Mo
                2nd Dam: Biblical Point, by Point Given
                3rd Dam: Bibical Sense, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
O/B-D. J. Stable, LLC (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $100,000.
3–Opulent Restraint (Ire), 121, f, 3, by Dubawi (Ire)
                1st Dam: Significant Form (MGSW, $817,216),
                                by Creative Cause
                2nd Dam: Church by the Sea, by Harlan's Holiday
                3rd Dam: Witness Post, by Gone West
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Stephanie Seymour Brant; B-White Birch Farm Sc (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown. $60,000.
Margins: NO, 3/4, 3 1/4. Odds: 6.20, 0.40, 19.70.
Also Ran: May Day Ready, Warming, Virgin Colada, Totally Justified.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

It's a photo finish and a track record in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Inv. Stakes!

Fionn ($14.40) and jockey Flavien Prat (5-win day) pull off the upset for trainer @bradcoxracing and owners George Messina & Michael Lee. pic.twitter.com/aTdQG2FuPk

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) July 5, 2025

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