Twilight Blue tries two turns in Thursday allowance

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Twilight Blue makes the move to two turns in Thursday’s ninth race, which is the sort of first-level allowance that could produce starters for next month’s Grade 1, $1 million Rebel at Oaklawn Park.

Twilight Blue is part of a field of 11 for the 1 1/16-mile route for 3-year-olds. His chief rivals include Cousin Larry, a half-brother to Kentucky Oaks winner Proud Spell; Scarred, an impressive debut winner last November at Churchill Downs; and Oncoming Train, who ran third in that track’s $98,000 Street Sense in October.

Twilight Blue was stakes-placed in December, when he ran third in the $75,000 Sugar Bowl over six furlongs at Fair Grounds. He’s since run fourth in a first-level allowance sprint January 23 at Oaklawn. Trainer Joe Sharp said he’s looking forward to trying two turns with Twilight Blue in what will be the horse's sixth start Thursday.

:: Click to learn about our DRF's Free Past Performance program.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Sharp said. “His pedigree suggests he should like it. We just kind of stuck to his works. He ran some really big numbers going short. We tried stakes company at Fair Grounds and he didn’t disappoint. He ran a really credible third.

“I don’t have any reservations he’ll get the two turns. We think he’s going to be better going long.”

Twilight Blue is a son of Air Force Blue and from the female family of Grade 1-winning routers Cetewayo and Dynaforce.

Francisco Arrietta has the mount from the rail for Carl Moore Management.

Scarred is a son of Into Mischief who could go favored off a runner-up finish at this level and distance Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs. He set the pace and was beaten a half-length. This trip will be his first on Lasix. Scarred has made one other start, winning a maiden special weight over seven furlongs at Churchill with a field-high Beyer Speed Figure of 81.

Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount from post 6 for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Cousin Larry was third at this level and distance in his last start January 16 at Fair Grounds. The race was his second in a route, and he earned a career-high Beyer of 71. Cousin Larry races for his breeder, Brereton C. Jones, and is trained by Larry Jones, the same connections as his half-sister Proud Spell. She earned $2.1 million.

Cristian Torres has the mount from post 7.

Sharp will be going for the late double Thursday. In the first half, the eighth race, he has top contender O Seraphina in a one-mile money allowance for fillies and mares that carries a claiming option of $40,000.

O Seraphina enters off a first-level allowance win over 1 mile, 70 yards on December 17 at Fair Grounds. The race was her third off a seven-month layoff and, after two defeats in Kentucky, she roared to a 4 1/2-length win in New Orleans.

“She sustained a minor injury and we gave her some time off,” Sharp said of the layoff. “She came back – she’s a big mare – and it took us a while to get her fit, to get back in shape. She finally got back to the Fair Grounds, and we saw the old O Seraphina.”

The probable favorite is Villanelle, who is looking for her third straight win off back-to-back victories in Kentucky.