Open Mind ($300.000 Purse)
CD- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
September 16, 2023

It may not have had a graded designation, but the $300.000 purse offered for the Open Mind made it a nice part of a busy day at CD. The race is a sprint for fillies and mares, and it would be won by the most experienced horse amongst them. Starship Twister is no stranger to the starting gate, having made 42 career starts, but she needed a good finish here after struggling in the Personal Ensign last month. Naturally, there are a lot of difference between the two races without even getting into their distance, or that the race at SAR was held on a muddy track. Starship Twister has had no issues with sprinting in the past, and she would not in the Open Mind either, as she was at or near the front throughout to get her eighth career win. While she’s been around the block for a while, this will go down as her biggest career win to this point even though she has a graded win (it was for a lesser purse). The six-year-old mare is trained by TwinTowersRacing, and along for the ride was T Gaffalione. For each, it is their first win in the race. Congratulations to them! the time of the win was 1:09.34, which is more of a median such time for the race. Let’s take a look at it!

(1/4 Mile- :22.48)- Flysohigh, our pick to win the race from Asgar, looked good in the early moments as she jumped out to a length lead. Starship Twister, the eventual winner out of TwinTowersRacing, is the only one close to her at this point as she assumes her position on the rail. In the middle of the field, and about two and a half lengths from the lead are Esprezzo (Gdp Inc) and Curlina (Arindel), then further back Her World (D J C Racing Stables) and Lannys All In (Mo Mentum Farm) also run side by side.

(1/2 Mile- :45.68, Top of Stretch, 2F To Go)- About midway into the turn, Starship Twister would reel in Flysohigh, and by the top of the stretch, she would have a neck in front as the new race leader. For now, Flysohigh was still the second-place horse and clear of the rest of the field. Esprezzo was leaving Curlina behind and looked like she would be a threat in the stretch, and we were were still waiting for Her World and Lannys All In to show something.

(Finish- 1:09.34)- With a furlong to go, Starship Twister looked to have a comfortable run to the wire, but TwinTowersRacing wasn’t going to celebrate anything yet, since earlier in the card at CD, his own Radio Ruffian nearly took down a rival that seemed to have a similar comfortable lead in the stretch, that being in the Pocahontas. Approaching the wire, he could relax, as even though Esprezzo was getting a little closer, she was never going to get there in time. Starship Twister would win by a length, with Esprezzo having the same advantage over Lannys All In, who was really the best of the rest for third instead of making a nice closing run for the position. Her World and Flysohigh were next, with Curlina continuing her trend of having poor races when I cover her.

About The Winner- Starship Twister, trained by TwinTowersRacing and ridden to victory by T Gaffalione, is a six-year-old mare by Starship Command and is out of Twisted Broomstick. She was bred in Florida by TwinTowersRacing as a first quarter two-year-old, and they have been together throughout! Congratulations to the connections! the win is her eighth in 43 starts, and her third stake win. Her career earnings are now $1,059.190.

Track: Fast
Time: :22²  :45³  :57²  1:09¹

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 1 – 4 Paid 9.70
$1 Trifecta: 1 – 4 – 2 Paid 238.60

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded