TS Turf Sprint – GII
$600.000 For Three Year Olds And Upwards
5 1/2 Furlongs – Turf
Churchill Downs – May 2, 2026

The turf sprint division tends to be somewhat ignored, but it can also produce some of the most competitive and exciting races. It’s kind of like F2 to F1 for anyone who follows the real-life mechanical cousin to our digital sport. One gets all the glory and attention while the other just produces exciting racing…my opinion. Anyway, Nitro certainly finds the turf sprint division of HRP racing to be very exciting and now very lucrative after taking down the TS Turf Sprint under the legendary twin spires of Churchill Downs on Saturday. Derby schmerby. 

Winner: Nitro (The Sidley Stud/M. Franco) Dehara/She Rolls (I Want More) Nitro has been nothing but stellar since The Sidley Stud moved him to turf sprints after disappointing in the G3 Bold Ruler last season. Since then, he has run in five stakes races and finished in the money in all five, being right there at the wire in all of them. On Saturday, M. Franco took his time with Nitro early, sitting chilly towards the back of the back. He began to ask him as they went into the turn, and Nitro responded willingly. Well, I assume he did since Churchill Downs has crammed so much stuff (polite option employed) in the infield that you can’t really see a good % of the race. But it’s good and healthy to engage your imagination, right? Nitro ducked to the rail entering the stretch and found a dream trip to power home and catch a stubborn Lava Man in the final yards as the nearly 5-1 favorite.

Second: Lava Man (Mb Stables/P. Lopez) Sinissippi Star/Just Wonderful (Cherokee Sunset) Did everything right and did everything you could ask for except win in his graded stakes turf debut. Did all the hard work up front early, battling fellow speedster Sioux Arrival, and then held on grittily through the stretch before only giving way right at the wire. 

Third: King Speed Party (Winning Link Stable/A. Fresu) King Party/Warp Speed Party (Nasrullah) showed early interest and took advantage of his good post by stalking the leaders. Had to stay out in his three or four path the entire trip, however, which didn’t help him. Loomed a threat with a furlong to go but could not match the top two. Held on to edge the late closing Teterboro for the show spot. 

Fourth: Teterboro (Chili King Stables/P. Husbands) Count The Stars/Bagina (Condottieri) was at the back of the pack early, sitting next to the eventual winner. Nitro moved sooner than Teterboro, but he was able to follow the winner up the rail through the stretch and nearly gain third.

Preview Pick: Ineedu2party – Ran like he had been to a helluva party the night before and never really picked up his feet in this one. Finished thirteenth and last.

This win in the TS Turf Sprint was the second in a row for jockey M. Franco, having won it a year ago aboard Mb Stable’s Exemplary, who is now enjoying his first season at stud. It was the first win in this race for The Sidley Stud and the first graded stakes win for Nitro. The hefty $360.00 winner’s share of the purse brings the five-year-old gelding’s lifetime earnings to $612.88. 

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES