West End Kid

West End Kid finished a good fourth in his career debut Feb. 8, rallying fast in the stretch to end up 1 ¼ lengths back in a one-mile turf race at Gulfstream Park. The 3-year-old Twirling Candy colt then moved up to trainer Will Walden’s base at Keeneland, and romped by 3 ½ lengths in his second career outing, a 1 1/16-mile turf event at the Lexington track.

He then moved up to the allowance ranks May 8 at Churchill Downs, and again won impressively, taking command in early stretch and then pulling away by 3 ¾ lengths in a 1 1/16-mile turf race. After those two wins, Walden shipped West End Kid to Saratoga for a start in the Grade 3, 1 1/16-mile Pennine Ridge Stakes June 4 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. With Tyler Gaffalione in the irons, the bay colt sat in second through six furlongs, took the lead at the top of the lane, and coasted to a 1 ¼-length win.

West End Kid was bred in Kentucky and is out of the Scat Daddy mare To a Friend, a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Starting Over.