The fastest thoroughbreds often have long careers in American horse racing, and the Grade II Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes of 2025 proves that with two previous winners back at Churchill Downs for more aged six and seven.
Although Cogburn doesn’t defend the crown he won on Kentucky Derby day last year, both prior race victors in Nobals and Arrest Me Red line-up in a 12-runner field. Expect a gate-to-wire dash over 1,100m on Saturday, May 3 earlier on the card before the Run for the Roses.
Only two horses younger than five take part and none from the Triple Crown generation. Despite this relative absence of young guns, it could prove the most fascinating turf race on the card. If oddsmakers from Kentucky Derby betting sites have it right, then there are two key pieces of form to look at.
The first is from Turfway Park where Wesley Ward’s Arrest Me Red just bested Larry Rivelli runner Nobals by half-a-length in the Big Daddy Stakes. It’s a slightly longer distance of 1,200m than the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes of 2025, but the pair met off level weights with the Keeneland-based horse successful.
In the past, however, Nobals has the better of Arrest Me Red. Both know what it takes to win this race following respective victories in 2023 and 2022. They also have post positions in the lower half of the draw, but higher gates have produced more recent success.
British Runner Rogue Lightning Tries to Turnabout Shakertown Form
Another race shaping odds for the Kentucky Derby card’s sprint is a Grade II event at the Bluegrass State’s other major racetrack Keeneland. Six of the first eight home in the Shakertown Stakes take each other on again. Godolphin’s Think Big was on top at the finish, but now carries a penalty for the Michael Stidham barn and jockey Ben Curtis.
It means all of those facing the four-year-old Twirling Candy gelding once more meet him on better terms. Faring best behind Think Big was transatlantic runner Rogue Lightning. Tom Clover’s five-year-old by Kodiac is no stranger to racing overseas after runs in France in the fall and when winning in Qatar over the winter.
Rogue Lightning now receives 2lb from Think Big, yet other runners in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes of 2025 get even more weight. Caching the eye when running on into the show in the Shakertown from a bad start was Eamonn.
Joseph Orseno’s seven-year-old son of Pioneerof The Nile filled the same spot at Keeneland last season and finished sixth in this jumping from a similarly high gate. Cases for Dale Romans’ Coppola back in fifth after having the run of the race and breaking well, and Run Carson aren’t so easy.
As the only other four-year-old competing, the latter could still have improvement in him, though. Both Coppola and Run Carson have prior wins at Churchill Downs before, yet even at these more favorable weights, need progress.
Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes 2025 Post Positions
- Coppola (10-1)
- Ambivalent (12-1)
- Nobals (6-1)
- One Timer (10-1)
- Arrest Me Red (6-1)
- Run Carson (6-1)
- Think Big (4-1)
- Rogue Lightning (7-2 fav)
- Boss Sully (15-1)
- Unconquerable Keen (30-1)
- Eamonn (12-1)
- Mischievous Rogue (20-1)
