Twilight Derby (Grade 2)- $200.000 Purse
SA- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Eighth on the Turf
October 29, 2022

A field of six three year olds will be heading to the starting gate for the 17th running of the Twilight Derby, going nine furlongs on the turf course. The details of this race have been very consistent over those years as well. Past winners include Xray Eyes, Seven Years, and Winter Solstice. The 2021 winner was Ptyrannical, for Arindel. This gelding continued to see his stock rise after the race, and it has moved him a into four year old campaign that saw him win the Grade 3 Mint Million last month. Those are some good names, therefore, for Saturday’s runners to try and follow a lead. Though this race has some very good horses in it, none of them are a headliner at this point in time. Let’s see which of these can separate themselves from the crowd and get the big win!

#1- Elite Fire (High Voltage, ridden by U Rispoli)- With $359.000 in career earnings, Elite Fire is the highest earner within this field. From May to September, he ran off a stretch of four wins in five starts, including a triple digit allowance at CD and then the Grade 3 Saranac at SAR in September. His last race was the first time in a while that he was a complete non-factor in a race, coming in the Grade 2 Henry Championship right here at the start of the month. Not much has changed for him, condition wise here, but he seems to be a much better horse than he showed there.

#2- Papua New Guinea (Nakamura Stables, ridden by C Figueroa)- We go from the highest to the lowest earner in this field . Papua New Guinea has not proven much to this point, needing four races before breaking his maiden at FE in August. He didn’t hit the board in any of the prior three races. Nakamura was confident in him after that win, and sent him to the Toronto Cup Stakes, where he placed fourth. So, he’s showing the signs of a breakout in his career and this would be a great place for it to happen.

#3- Animal House (Night Rider Stables, ridden by D Van Dyke)- Claimed by Night Rider Stables in late July from Arindel for $35.000. Prior to that, Animal House had made a couple stake starts, so the potential was always visible. With his new trainer, Animal House was placed directly into the $135.000 Better Talk Now, and ran fourth. That’s the same spot that he finished in for his last stake with Arindel, too, so we might need to see a second straight effort like that to get excited over him.

#4- Perception (Mb Stables, ridden by J Pyfer)- Early in his career, this horse had chances in some top races, but failed to step up in any of them. That would include a poor outing in the Grade 1 BEL Derby, but then running 13 lengths off the pace on soft purse in a $46.260 allowance. The tide may be turning now, though, with back to back strong runs, which includes his last start where he was third at the $100.000 Bucks County. He must continue this momentum as he gets this graded chance.

#5- Black Card (Wood Duck Stables, ridden by R A Vazquez)- This Residue gelding has proven to be a great $25.010 auction purchase when he was unraced, as he has gone on to three wins and six in the money finishes out of his eight starts. Those wins came between February and April and is what saw him get moved into stakes company. He’s been knocking on the door of the stake victory and looked sharp at WO in the $400.000 Birdstone Stakes earlier this month. He may prefer to go a little longer, but this distance should be fine as well.

#6- Master Of Disguise (Mb Stables, ridden by J J Hernandez)- The trainer is hoping this can be one of his next stable stars. Master Of Disguise is still very lightly raced, with only three starts thus far. His last one came at the start of this month, right here, where he broke his maiden against fellow CA-breds. Now, we will see if Mb Stables is to be rewarded for a high degree of patience that he has had with the horse. Had a great work here on the fifteenth, and that should hint that he is up for the challenge.

Prediction: 1-5-4-6

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES