Twilight Gleaming holds on for narrow Mamzelle triumph
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Twilight Gleaming shook off several challenges before narrowly holding on for a head victory as the heavy favorite Saturday night in the $114,500 Mamzelle Stakes over the Churchill Downs turf and under the lights.
Making her second start since defeating male rivals last November in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, Twilight Gleaming paid $2.60 after finishing five furlongs in 58.22 seconds. Tyler Gaffalione was up for Stonestreet Stables and trainer Wesley Ward.
“We got away just a step slow,” Gaffalione said. “She got to the front pretty easily after that, and I had to ask her a bit midstretch. but she responded well.”
Twilight Gleaming edged away from a couple of pursuers at the furlong pole before she got to the wire just in time, in besting Devine Charger, the 31-1 runner-up. Artos was third, just a nose behind Devine Charger in a field of 11 3-year-old fillies.
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As an Irish-bred, Twilight Gleaming was ineligible for the winner’s share of $65,000 Kentucky-bred bonuses on offer. She is among the Ward horses slated to compete again at the June 14-18 Royal Ascot meet in England, where last year she was second of 21 in a Group 2 race.
Twilight Gleaming was the fourth straight odds-on favorite to win during an 11-race card, accounting for a pick four (races 6-9) that paid just $5.45 on a 50-cent bet.
This was the second of three “Downs After Dark” programs at the 44-day spring meet, with the April 30 meet opener being the first. The third is June 18. There will be one night card (Sept. 24) during the September meet.