Twin Sparks eyes Caballos del Sol repeat

PHOENIX – When Twin Sparks won the Caballos del Sol at Turf Paradise a little more than a year ago, it was a tour de force, his coming-out party, if you will. All the gelding did was win by 11 1/4 lengths and set a world record for six furlongs (1:06.49).

However when Twin Sparks tries to defend his title in the $25,000 renewal Saturday, he’ll be trying to recapture that spark as he returns after a lengthy layoff that followed two poor races here last winter. The 7-year-old gelding heads a field of 10 going six furlongs.

Owned Bobbie Parson and trained by Karl Myers, his win was only a bit of a surprise (he hadn’t won that year). The through-the-roof effort was the real surprise. After his dazzling win, he backed it up, capturing the Swift Stakes in early January.

However, things then went south. He faded to seventh in the Phoenix Gold Cup on Feb. 13 and then faded to sixth in the Coyote Handicap on March 15. He’s been on the bench since but boasts some solid works for his return. Leading rider Ry Eikleberry has the call and said the horse is ready.

“We would’ve liked to have had a race in him before this, but the way he’s been working I don’t think it will matter,” he said.

He may not need to be as good as he was in this race last year, but some stiff competition still demands he return with his “A” game.

All Saint invades from California for trainer Wilton Whitehouse. While the 4-year-old gelding hasn’t won since September 2009, he comes into this off a string of superb works, including five bullets. He also gets blinkers. He’s a stakes winner and stakes placed on dirt, and the layoff (last raced Oct. 17) may help.

Talk Circuit steps well up in class after three romping wins here. He beat $12,500 claimers Oct. 10, beat $16,000 claimers on the turf Oct. 12, and then romped in a $16,000 main-track sprint Oct. 30. He was claimed that day by owner/trainer Miguel Silva who steps him up to this spot. Those last three Beyers Speed Figures (94, 84, 84) say he’s not out of his element.

Rule by Force is a 10-time winner and multiple stakes winner who returns after more than three months off; Boundless Cat just won the Walter R. Cluer Memorial at a mile on the turf in his first local start since coming from Hastings and may be more comfortable at this distance on this surface; and Danzip returns to where he romped in his first two career starts this past winter before going on to win three stakes at Arapahoe, run third in a stakes at Fairplex, and most recently finish third in a $50,000 turf sprint at Oak Tree at Hollywood Park. His new trainer, Mike Chambers, is having a phenomenal meet (20 for first 31, 65 percent).