Twirling Point gets second chance on turf in Awad Stakes

Twirling Point gets a second chance to make a first impression on turf Saturday, when he takes on the high-profile maiden Spirit Prince in the $135,000 Awad at Aqueduct.

The race is for 2-year-olds over 1 1/16 miles. It’s one of three stakes on the card. The Awad drew a field of eight, with half of the entrants still eligible for maiden races.

Twirling Point was a maiden special weight winner Oct. 8 at Woodbine, winning off by 3 1/4 lengths at this distance on Tapeta. It was a sharp rebound from his debut. Twirling Point had finished 10th as the favorite in a seven-furlong maiden special weight run over the European-style course at Kentucky Downs.

“It just kind of all went pear-shaped at the break,” trainer Jonathan Thomas said. “He was a little confused with the course at Kentucky Downs. He also had been a little distracted, being a colt. We gelded him between that and his next start and added blinkers.”

Twirling Point responded with a powerful win on the front end at Woodbine, and the Beyer Speed Figure of 71 that he earned is one of the best career numbers in the Awad. New York-based Javier Castellano, who was at Woodbine for a stakes engagement Oct. 8, was aboard and has the mount again Saturday from post 5.

As for the return to turf, Thomas is simply drawing a line through Twirling Point’s first start on the surface on Sept. 2.

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“The horse had trained well,” he said. “I was encouraged by the fact that it was so bad. It was one of those races that was almost too bad to be true.

“The question still lingers whether he’s a turf horse or a synthetic horse. Going into this time of year, this will help us decide whether to go to Florida with him or stay at Turfway. Certainly, looking at his page, he’s supposed to handle the grass. And he’s an awful nice mover.”

Twirling Point is by Twirling Candy. His dam, Kitten’s Point, was a multiple Grade 3 winner on the grass who earned $507,565. She is by turf champion Kitten’s Joy and from one other foal to race has produced a winner on the grass.

Spirit Prince has raced exclusively on turf, finishing second by a half-length in his debut, a maiden special weight won by next-out stakes winner Noted in July at Saratoga. Spirit Prince proceeded to run third in both the Grade 3 With Anticipation at Saratoga and the Grade 2 Pilgrim at Aqueduct.

Since those races, Noted, as well as With Anticipation runner-up Carson’s Run and Pilgrim runner-up Fulmineo, have been pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Carson’s Run, a stablemate of Spirit Prince, became a Grade 1 winner in September in the Summer at Woodbine.

Spirit Prince, who was an also-eligible for a Thursday maiden race at Aqueduct and was scratched, will break from post 8 under Dylan Davis. The son of Cairo Prince is trained by Christophe Clement.

Blue Creek comes off a third in the Laurel Futurity at 1 1/16 miles on turf Sept. 30.

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