Twilight Gleaming (IRE)

An Irish-bred purchased at auction for more than $88,000 in 2020, Twilight Gleaming made her debut at Keeneland on Apr. 8, 2021. One of many highly-regarded 2-year-olds for trainer Wesley Ward at the Keeneland meet, she went off as the 3-5 favorite. She broke a bit slowly and closed to finish second.

For her next race, Twilight Gleaming switched to the turf, for a five-furlong race at Belmont Park on May 9. Once again sent off as the odds-on favorite, this time she delivered, winning by 7 1/2 lengths. 

Twilight Gleaming was shipped to England for her next start, the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 16. She finished second, beaten by 1 1/4 lengths. She stayed in Europe and won at Deauville in France on Aug. 7.

Twilight Gleaming entered the Breeders' Cup Juvenil Turf Sprint fresh and fit, and she surged out of the starting gate to take command in the $1 million race. The filly by National Defense led every step of the was Nov. 5 at Del Mar and held off a late bid from Go Bears Gp to prevail at 5.20-1 odds for Ward, who won the Juvenile Turf SPrint for the third year in a row.