Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint

Trainer Wesley Ward is rapidly becoming the world’s expert in training 2-year-olds to sprint on the turf. In only four years of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, Ward has won the race three times and finished second the only time he lost.

Twice the trainer has won the race with colts, and this time he did it with a filly in the $1 million race, though not the one most people were expecting. Instead of winning with favored Averly Jane, Ward took it at Del Mar with Twilight Gleaming, the 5-1 second choice. Twilight Gleaming became the first filly to win the Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Maybe the right combination must also include jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who was aboard Ward-trained winner Four Wheel Drive in 2019, Golden Pal in 2020, and now, Twilight Gleaming.

But credit the filly as well, who got the jump on the rest of the large field, giving her an advantage that ultimately no one could overcome.— Tracy Gantz