The Twin Bridges
$175.00 For Fillies And Mares Three Years Old And Upward
6 Furlongs – Dirt
Ellis Park – July 19, 2026

This will be the fourth running of The Twin Bridges. The inaugural running was in 2023 when the purse was $125.00. Sexy Angelina for Night Rider Stables was the winner that year. The following year Flyingbolt finished first for Mo Mentum Farm and the purse was again $125.00. Last year saw the purse increased to $150.00 and Dream Chaser wearing the colors of La Gloria Stable was victorious. The purse increases again this year to $175.00 and it draws the attention of six speedy females looking to add their name to that short but growing list. In a world of shrinkage in just about every aspect of life it is nice to see a race purse increasing even modestly. We seem almost assured of a fast track so let’s go.

1. Smugglers Point (Williams9/L. Machado) Three year old who was claimed for $17.50 in February shows one win for her new barn and is looking for her first stakes win and also looking for a result to push her over the $100.00 threshold in earnings. Her last race was the best race of her career. She finished a fast closing third in The Jersey Girl at Saratoga in early June. 

2. Chocolate Bomber (TwinTowersRacing/A. Beschizza) Her last race was at a mile and three eights on the grass so this is a massive distance cutback and surface change. She was a stakes winner at six furlongs on the dirt in her fourth career start but she has not been able to find the winners circle since in ten starts. She showed a flash of her early promise in March when she finished second in The Manatee Handicap at Tampa Bay Downs. Her follow up was a lead and fade fifth in The Roxelana. Throw out the marathon on the grass and there could be signs she is waking up. 

3. Terrifiant Sunset (Mb Stables/B. Curtis) Consistency is the name of her game with her finishing in the top three eighteen times in twenty two races. She has only ventured into stakes company twice. The first time she was sixth in the G2 Lukas Stakes at Santa Anita only a length back. Her last race was a good second, beaten only by a long neck in the Chicken Fried Stakes. She is looking to step up and seems to have talent yet to be truly tested.

4. Hotashell (Spb Racing/G. Corrales) She was claimed for $20.00 in April and won first out for her new barn taking an optional claiming race at Churchill Downs. Has a stakes placing early in her career but has been carefully managed since. Connections will test her for class today and will get a good measure against the benchmark mare to her outside. An unknown that could surprise. 

5. Barossa Valley (Mo Mentum Farm/R. Bejarano) By far the most accomplished horse in the field as evidenced by her career earnings of $1,273,96 which dwarves her rivals bank accounts…combined! She has raced well this year picking up checks in four graded events but she has yet to find the winners circle. She finds a softer spot today and is looking for a confidence builder.

6. Star Sapphire (John Henry/R.A. Vasquez) Star Sapphire is also looking for her first win of the year. She has run well finishing on the board in three of four stakes starts while picking up a check in the other. She is cutting back to six furlongs which wouldn’t seem to compliment her closing style. It will be interesting to see if the shorter distance plus the outside gate influences her race strategy at all.

Barossa Valley is the obvious standout by a mile and after getting beaten up with my picks in recent races I am also looking for a confidence boosting win so I’ll pick her as somewhat of a kindred spirit. The race seems wide open behind her. I like Hotashell followed by Terrifiant Sunset and Smugglers Point to round things out.

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded