Fionn (Twirling Candy) launched an impressive last-to-first rally to win Saturday's GIII Regret S. at Churchill Downs.
The favored pacesetter Classic Q (Classic Empire) tired at the top of the stretch as Totally Justified (Justify) took over at the three- sixteenths. Fionn tipped out to the center in the stretch and powered home from there for a career high.
Fionn capped a three-race winning streak in the Allen Black Cat LaCombe Memorial S. at Fair Grounds Mar. 8 and rallied for third behind next-out GII Edgewood S. heroine Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) in Keeneland's GII Appalachian S. Apr. 8.
“It was a good trip,” winning trainer Brad Cox said. “She's been a really consistent filly and I think she will keep improving off of this.”
Winning jockey Florent Geroux added, “They were going fast up front so I just let her get into a nice rhythm and do her thing. She kept finding more late and really dug in.”
Pedigree Notes:
Fionn, a $75,000 KEESEP yearling, becomes the 25th graded/group winner worldwide for Twirling Candy. The Twirling Candy x Giant's Causeway cross is also responsible for GISW Pinehurst. Gaelic Gold, a maiden of six career starts, has the 2-year-old colt Essential Storm (Essential Quality), a $105,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by Jeffrey and Julie Puryear, a yearling colt by Connect and a Jackie's Warrior colt of this year in the pipeline. Gaelic Gold brought $275,000 from breeder Dixiana Farms carrying Fionn at the 2021 KEENOV sale.
Saturday, Churchill Downs
REGRET S.-GIII, $272,500, Churchill Downs, 5-31, 3yo, f,
1 1/8mT, 1:47.29, fm.
1–FIONN, 118, 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
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($75,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-George
Messina & Michael Lee; B-Dixiana Farms LLC (KY); T-Brad H.
Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $163,920. Lifetime Record: 6-4-1-1,
$349,270. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com
catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Totally Justified, 118, f, 3, Justify–Outstanding (Ire), by
Galileo (Ire). ($285,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Bregman Family
Racing LLC; B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt (KY); T-George R.
Arnold II. $53,200.
3–Hereforagoodtime, 118, f, 3, Justify–First Hour, by
Speightstown. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($400,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Flying Dutchmen Breeding and
Racing LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh.
$26,600.
Margins: HF, 1, 3. Odds: 4.04, 4.49, 5.42.
Also Ran: Aterradora (Ire), Fixin to Bee, Golden Sunshine, Classic Q, Jalila, Mechaya. Scratched: Deloraine, Lush Lips (GB).
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
#8 FIONN ($10.08) by Twirling Candy (@LanesEndFarms) comes flying down the center of the track to win the $275,000 Regret Stakes (G3) at @ChurchillDowns. @flothejock was up for @bradcoxracing. pic.twitter.com/WY4uavytQg
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) May 31, 2025
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