Kilwin Aces The 100th Running Of The Test

[Wandering Eyes]

In high school, we'd call her a multi-sport athlete. A two-time varsity letter earner. Someone, horse or human alike, who has the skills to excel at more than one specialty is a rare commodity indeed and Kilwin (Twirling Candy) proved Saturday that she's as versatile as she is talented in taking the 100th running of the GI Test Stakes at Saratoga.

This daughter of Twirling Candy, much like her sire, had plenty of early success on the grass, breaking her maiden at first asking for Rusty Arnold in a 5 1/2 furlong sprint at Ellis Park just over a year ago before capturing the Untapable Stakes next out. She  outran her 16-1 odds when thrown into the one-mile deep end behind the classy Lake Victoria (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf to finish out the year fifth beaten just 4 1/4 lengths at Del Mar. Kept on the turf and cutting back to sprinting to kick off her 3-year-old campaign, she gave up her first two starts to 'TDN Rising Star' Shisospicy (Mitole) in both the Limestone Stakes at Keeneland in April and the GIII Mamzelle Stakes at Churchill May 10. It was then that her connections made a change, switching their $225,000 Keeneland grad to the dirt to try the seven-furlong Leslie's Lady Stakes June 8. And what a response they got as Kilwin rallied from out the pack to win while posting a new career best 96 Beyer Speed Figure. It was a result that gave them the confidence to ship their filly to Saratoga.

The connections of BBN Racing must have had their stomachs in their throats as Kilwin stumbled badly out the gate and quickly plummeted to the back of the field. The 6-1 shot left herself with plenty to do as longshot leader Me and Molly McGee (Vekoma) led a host of pursuers in a staked-up field through the opening quarter in :22.52. Still not even in the picture as the front seven began to corner, Kilwin just came into frame as 3-2 favorite Echo Sound (Echo Town) got first jump on the longshot pacesetter nearing the quarter pole.

It was a three-wide calvary charge at the top of the lane as Echo Sound (Echo Town), Beauty Reigns (Into Mischief) and Artisma (Munnings) all hit the stretch  together but Kilwin was just winding up. Stuck down inside behind the wall of runners with less than a furlong to run, she angled out under Jose Ortiz to come widest of them all and had to gut out a final few strides to get by 'TDN Rising Star' Ragtime (Union Rags) for the win.

“Well, I thought this filly [Kilwin] was out of the race when she stumbled at the gate,” Arnold admitted. “Even Jose [Ortiz] said, 'I kind of picked her up, and she was running well enough, maybe I can get her Grade I-placed and get third because she stumbled so badly.' It wasn't like the way you drew it up, but it went well. I thought she was done. I was watching the other filly [No. 6, Echo Sound] run. I was watching the TV and she [Kilwin] wasn't on the TV. Her spot was off the TV and I didn't even consider that she was still in the race, actually, so it went well. Jose didn't give up on her and he kept riding.”

Arnold noted that his filly would target the GII Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs Sept. 6.

Ortiz added, “She was moving very well and I thought I had a shot turning for home. Honestly, I was following the right horse and I knew Junior [Alvarado, on Ragtime] was traveling really nicely. I cut the corner and I was following him, then I came out and she gave me that extra kick that I needed inside the eighth-pole.”

Pedigree Note:

Kilwin is the 12th Grade I winner for Lane's End stallion Twirling Candy who was himself a dual graded stakes winner on the turf before taking the GI Malibu Stakes on dirt in track record-setting style. First dam Spanish Star also continues to boost the broodmare sire portfolio for champion Blame whose daughters have already produced the likes of champion Forte (Violence) and G1SW Switzerland (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) who was announced to be standing at Coolmore Australia earlier this year. From four foals to the races, Spanish Star has produced four winners with Kilwin joining the likes of GSW One Timer (Trappe Shot) and SW/GISP Just Basking (Arrogate). The dam herself, who sold with Just Basking in utero for $275,000 at KEENOV in 2020 after bringing just $1,500 out of the same sale three years prior, is a half to GI Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston (Awesome Again). Her recent offspring include a 2-year-old Essential Quality colt named Mojacar who sold for $500,000 at Keeneland September last year to Belladonna Racing, a yearling filly from the first crop of Flightline and a weanling filly by Cody's Wish. She returned to Twirling Candy for a full-sibling to Kilwin in 2026.

 

KILWIN rallies from last to win the 100th Grade 1 Test presented by @Ticketmaster! She stumbles at the start, then flies late under @jose93_ortiz for trainer Rusty Arnold in a thrilling finish. pic.twitter.com/pk1VMYlobR

— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) August 2, 2025

Saturday, Saratoga
TEST S. PRESENTED BY TICKETMASTER-GI, $500,000, Saratoga, 8-2, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:23.10, ft.
1–KILWIN, 122, f, 3, by Twirling Candy
            1st Dam: Spanish Star, by Blame
            2nd Dam: La Gran Bailadora, by Afleet Alex
            3rd Dam: Affirmed Dancer, by Affirmed
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($225,000 Ylg
'23 KEESEP; $575,000 RNA 2yo '24 KEECHA). O-BBN Racing
LLC; B-Gilder-Schwarz Farms LLC (KY); T-George R. Arnold II;
J-Jose L. Ortiz. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 7-4-1-0, $1,087,968.
*1/2 to Just Basking (Arrogate), SW & GISP, $311,506 and
One Timer (Trappe Shot), GSW-USA, SW & GSP-Can,
$1,048,113. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Ragtime, 122, f, 3, by Union Rags
            1st Dam: Burmilla (GSW, $170,285), by Storm Cat
            2nd Dam: Nannerl, by Valid Appeal
            3rd Dam: Allouette, by Proud Birdie
'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE,
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-William I. Mott.
$100,000.
3–Beauty Reigns, 122, f, 3, by Into Mischief
            1st Dam: Ilsa, by Tapit
            2nd Dam: Sweet Way, by Giant's Causeway
            3rd Dam: Sweet Life, by Kris S.
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Tranquility Lake Farms LLC; B-Wygod
Equine, LLC (KY); T-William I. Mott. $60,000.
Margins: NK, 3 3/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 6.20, 4.40, 10.10.
Also Ran: Look Forward, Cash Call, Echo Sound, Artisma, Me and Molly McGee. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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