By Alan Carasso
Sent off the even-money favorite to run his current winning streak to three, Mo Speed Racing's West End Kid (Twirling Candy) sat a stalking trip and had plenty left for the final furlong to easily take out Thursday's GIII Pennine Ridge Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.
Drawn widest in a field of nine and exiting a comfortable Churchill allowance victory May 8, the bay colt was asked for a bit of speed by Tyler Gaffalione passing the stands for the first time, but was content to take the sit from second as longshot Chips and Fish (Omaha Beach) showed the way through an opening quarter-mile in :24.28 and four furlongs in a moderate :49.14.
Poised to strike as the field neared the stretch, with Blinging It Back (Volatile) chiming in three deep at the head of the lane, West End Kid struck to the front with a bit more than a furlong to travel and was punched out mostly hands and heels for a comfortable victory while finishing on his incorrect lead. Blackmail (Not This Time) kicked on underneath his commonly owned stablemate Blinging It Back with time ticking away and ran on for second, while comebacking GII Pilgrim Stakes hero and 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Bottas (Vekoma) did his best work late to take a photo for third over Glavine (Not This Time).
“We've always thought very highly of this horse,” said Gaffalione. “The thing that I'm very impressed with is his progression throughout his racing. He's starting to relax more. He's really just developing into a racehorse. He's got a really good turn of foot and honestly I don't think we've really even got to the bottom of him.
“Ideally, I would have liked to have a couple horses up in front of him, but we've been a victim of slow paces these last couple of races, but he does everything right. He listens to all my commands and when I ask him to run, he finds a whole 'nother gear. He just continues to impress us.”
Winning trainer Will Walden said West End Kid is possible for the $750,000 GI Belmont Derby back at Saratoga on July 4.
“We'll let the horse tell us. That has gotten us this far,” Walden said. “He wasn't ready as a 2-year-old, so we listen to him all the way, and stay out of his way.”
Pedigree Notes:
West End Kid is the 68th stakes winner and 31st graded winner for his Lane's End-based stallion and he is the 86th SW and 50th GSW worldwide out of a daughter of the much-missed Scat Daddy.
West End Kid is one of two winners from three starters for his dam, an unplaced daughter of the stakes-placed Vanishing, whose four winners include GII Mac Diarmida Stakes Starting Over (Liam's Map). Vanishing herself was sold for $90,000 in foal to Twirling Candy at the 2023 Keeneland November Sale and that produce, now named Sweet Nothing, was purchased by Lauren Carlisle for $525,000 at Keeneland September last fall. Vanishing also foaled a Twirling Candy filly this season.
Recording, winner of the GIII Sands Point Stakes on this circuit, was a 100% producer from seven runners, including MGSW/MGISP Smart Bid (Smart Strike), French stakes winner and German Group 3-placed Representing (Rahy) and MSW & MGSP Deal Making (Empire Maker).
To a Friend is the dam of a yearling colt by Taiba and was most recently covered by Practical Joke.
Thursday, Saratoga
PENNINE RIDGE S.-GIII, $300,000, Saratoga, 6-4, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.94, fm.
1–WEST END KID, 120, c, 3, by Twirling Candy
1st Dam: To a Friend, by Scat Daddy
2nd Dam: Vanishing, by Lemon Drop Kid
3rd Dam: Recording, by Danzig
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($120,000 RNA Ylg '24 KEESEP; $110,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT; $350,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR). O-Mo Speed Racing; B-Fred W Hertrich (KY); T-William Walden; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $165,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $304,954. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Blackmail, 122, g, 3, Not This Time–Waving, by Street Cry (Ire). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($110,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT; $150,000 3yo '26 FTDFEB). O-Gary Barber; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Mark E Casse. $60,000.
3–Bottas, 124, c, 3, Vekoma–Iadorakid, by Lemon Drop Kid.
($300,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR). O-Dahman; B-BCS Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Miguel Clement. $36,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, NO. Odds: 1.07, 13.06, 6.03.
Also Ran: Glavine, Noble Dynasty, Time for America, Blinging It Back, Asked and Answered, Chips and Fish. Scratched: Talk to Me Jimmy. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
WEST END KID gets his third win in a row and first stakes win in the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge Stakes under @Tyler_Gaff for trainer @wwaldenracing. pic.twitter.com/RrWnI5QH8V
— NYRA (🗽) (@TheNYRA) June 4, 2026
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