By J.N. Campbell
The unique Kentucky Downs meet featured on its Wednesday closing day card the GIII Blackwood Dueling Grounds Oaks Invitational Stakes, which was won in circuitous fashion by the late-running exploits of Fionn (Twirling Candy–Gaelic Gold, by Giant's Causeway).
Never out of the money across seven prior starts, the filly christened her stakes run with a victory in the Allen Black Cat LaCombe Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds Mar. 8. Turning in a respectable third to the stellar Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GII Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland Apr. 8, the dark bay won the GIII Regret Stakes at Churchill Downs May 31. Getting another shot at the Mark Casse trainee owned by DJ Stable in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes at the Spa July 5, Fionn was given a well-timed ride by Flavien Prat to net the top-level race by a mere nose and establish a new course record.
Coming off a two-month break away from the racetrack, the 3-year-old was made the second choice here behind her stablemate Destino d'Oro (Bolt d'Oro). At the break, Fionn settled towards the rear of the field as positioning for the top spot morphed up front.
Around the far turn, Prat had shifted his mount to an outside position, which would give the pair the chance to pounce with a clear path ahead when the time was right. The Casse-trained Candy Quest had the same idea as the straight unfolded and the two fillies began to fight it out with the pace evaporating. Surging to the lead, Fionn sailed towards the rail inside the final sixteenth, poked her head in front and found the wire in time. The win secured Brad Cox the meet's training title.
“I saw her coming down the outside,” said trainer Brad Cox. “I was obviously watching Destino d'Oro as well. She had a little bit of a bottled-up trip. When it didn't look like she was going to get through there, when they straightened up, I started watching Fionn. Mr. [Karl] Glassman's filly [Candy Quest] made the lead, and I didn't know how she would respond. But you could tell she wasn't giving in, and she stayed on well. You could tell she was battling back. It was a little bit of the unknown with the distance today. She's obviously won a Grade I at Saratoga, but this is the farthest she's been and she responded well.
“Trace Messina is an assistant for us; his father owns the horse with his cousin, Michael Lee,” Cox added. “Blake, my son, had her up at Saratoga and did a good job prepping her for this. It really worked out. Very proud of her. She's come a long way. She's been a little challenging since we picked her up last year, but she's definitely making it worthwhile.”
Pedigree Notes:
Fionn is on the same Twirling Candy-Giant's Causeway cross as current sire Pinehurst. Of course, Twirling Candy (by Candy Ride {Arg}) claims several Grade I winners including Ag Bullet, Kilwin and Rombauer, among many others.
The winner is her dam's first registered foal, but she does have an unraced 2-year-old half-brother named Essential Storm (Essential Quality). Gaelic Gold produced a colt by Connect last year and foaled a colt by Jackie's Warrior this past spring. She was bred back to Twirling Candy for next term.
As for Fionn's second dam GSW Strike It Rich (Unbridled's Song)–who herself is responsible for MSW Sea Foam (Medaglia d'Oro)–she is a half-sister to current freshman sire Beau Liam (Liam's Map) and MSW Tomlin (Distorted Humor).
BLACKWOOD DUELING GROUNDS OAKS INVITATIONAL S.-GIII, $1,970,000, Kentucky Downs, 9-10, 3yo, f, 1 5/16mT, 2:05.52, fm.
1–FIONN, 124, f, 3, by Twirling Candy
1st Dam: Gaelic Gold, by Giant's Causeway
2nd Dam: Strike It Rich, by Unbridled's Song
3rd Dam: Belle of Perintown, by Dehere
($75,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-George Messina and Michael Lee; B-Dixiana Farms LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $1,154,900. Lifetime Record: GISW, 8-6-1-1, $1,779,170. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Candy Quest, 120, f, 3, Connect–Candy Crush, by Candy Ride (Arg). ($225,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Glassman Racing LLC; B-G. Watts Humphrey (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $379,000.
3–Hereforagoodtime, 120, f, 3, Justify–First Hour, by Speightstown. ($400,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Brendan Walsh. $189,500.
Margins: HF, 3 1/4, HD. Odds: 2.46, 16.89, 17.36.
Also Ran: Admit, Princess Attitude, Destino d'Oro, Fixin to Bee, Reining Flowers, Totally Justified, Running Away, Daisy Flyer, Nosleeptilbrooklyn.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Fionn makes it three in a row in the G3 Dueling Ground Oaks at @kydownsracing for trainer @bradcoxracing with Flavien Prat in the irons! 🍀
🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/yzcQiHdx0e
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) September 10, 2025
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