With two-turn experiment over, Tejano Twist shortens up
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
Tejano Twist got his chance to run long, but the long and short of it is this colt prefers one-turn racing, and Tejano Twist gets back into his comfort zone in the featured seventh race Wednesday at Fair Grounds.
Tejano Twist didn’t flop Dec. 26 in the Gun Runner Stakes, his first start over a route of ground, but after making a run at pacesetting Epicenter at the quarter pole, his tank emptied. Tejano Twist held second but was beaten more than six lengths, and Bret Calhoun, who trains Tejano Twist for his breeder, Tom Durant, wasted no time saying Tejano Twist would go no further along the Triple Crown trail.
Instead, Tejano Twist got a few weeks of down time at the Copper Crowne Training Center in Opelousas, La. He’s posted four workouts since returning to Fair Grounds and is one of six entrants in a six-furlong dirt allowance race restricted to 3-year-olds but with no other conditions governing entry.
“He’s never missed a beat in his training, and we were glad to be able to get this race for him,” said Calhoun, who is eyeing the $400,000 Lafayette over seven furlongs April 9 at Keeneland and the Pat Day Mile a month later at Churchill should Tejano Twist run to expectations Wednesday.
Tejano Twist went 3-4-0 in nine starts at age 2, winning the $200,000 Lively Shively over 6 1/2 furlongs Nov. 27 at Churchill Downs. Calhoun admitted he’ll reserve judgment on whether a colt who did so much as a 2-year-old can continue progressing at age 3.
“It’s a concern when you have one that performs that well as an early 2-year-old. Will he just be one of those early maturing horses? We’re going to have to see it on the track,” Calhoun said.
Six were entered in the Wednesday feature. Chattalot, who won the Sugar Bowl Stakes over six furlongs on Dec. 27 at Fair Grounds, and Higher Standard should supply the pace. Chattalot can be forgiven for a third-place finish as the odds-on favorite Feb. 10 at Delta Downs since plenty of horses do not adapt to that small six-furlong racing oval and deep dirt surface. Higher Standard, however, has plenty of speed and drawn in post 5 should race alongside Chattalot’s flank under five-pound apprentice Rene Diaz.
“We got a great post tactically because he’s very good out of the gate,” said trainer Tom Amoss. “Higher Standard is very small, but what he lacks in size he has in heart.”
Hoist the Gold and Blue Kentucky also could benefit from a strong, contested pace, though on Sunday all five Fair Grounds dirt races were won by the first-call leader.