Saratoga: Twirling Queen brings win streak into Coronation Cup

Multiple stakes-winner Twirling Queen brings a three-race win streak into Friday’s listed $150,000 Coronation Cup, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for sophomore fillies, at Saratoga.

The Twirling Candy bay is 3-for-3 this year since joining the barn of trainer Jose D’Angelo. Twirling Queen won twice this winter sprinting five furlongs over the Gulfstream Park synthetic with Luis Saez aboard, taking an optional-claimer in February and an off-the-turf renewal of the Melody of Colors in March with prominent trips.

Twirling Queen, who will be ridden again by Saez, enters from a stalking three-quarter-length win in her turf debut in the 5 1/2-furlong listed Mamzelle on May 11 at Churchill Downs, where she bested returning rivals and next-out winners Toupie and Cloudwalker.

With Francisco Arrieta up in the Mamzelle, Twirling Queen broke alertly but took back off a pace duel between Hot Beach and Imaboutago and maneuvered into an outside stalking position. She advanced through the turn and took command from Hot Beach at the furlong grounds before staving off the strong finish of Toupie, who was a half-length better than the rallying Cloudwalker.

D’Angelo said the Mamzelle effort confirmed that Twirling Queen doesn’t need the lead to win.

“For the race at Gulfstream (Melody of Colors), I spoke to Luis (Saez) on the morning of the race and said to him, ‘the filly is ready to win. No matter what, get the lead,’ ” recalled D’Angelo. “She could not get the lead, but Luis was patient and sat second and then she went and won the race. From that race I learned from her that you can rate her and that she has tactical speed and can wait to make her move.

“For the race in Kentucky, I said to Arrieta, ‘have a good start, you don’t have to have the lead,’ ” continued D’Angelo. “I told him to just let her go wherever she wants to go and make the move at the top of the stretch. That’s what he did, and she responded really well.”

Twirling Queen, who races in custom blinkers for her petite head, breezed three-eighths in 35.92 seconds Thursday over the Saratoga main track.

“We blew her out a little bit and let her run down the stretch and she was pretty fast. She’s a pretty nice filly and doing great. I think we have a big chance next week,” D’Angelo said. “She’s not a big filly. She’s very professional and smart on the track. If you want to go fast, she goes fast. If you want to just give a normal work, she’ll work good.”

Twirling Queen, out of the multiple stakes-winning Kantharos mare Adventurous Lady, started her career with trainer Norm Casse, racing four times on dirt in Kentucky, including a first-out maiden win last June at Ellis Park. She is now perfect in three starts for D’Angelo and may have found her preferred footing after garnering a career-best 87 Beyer Speed Figure in the Mamzelle.

“We ran her three times and won with her three times. We’re hoping for four in a row,” D’Angelo said.

Godolphin’s British homebred Star of Mystery has banked a field-best $683,862 through a 10: 4-4-1 record and looms the one to beat for trainer Charlie Appleby.

“She’s a filly that with who she’s been campaigning against, she ought to be a short-priced favorite to go around there,” Appleby said. “I will be disappointed if she doesn’t get the job done, to be honest.”

The Kodiac sophomore enjoyed success at Newmarket as a juvenile, winning the Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress last July 1 ahead of a second in the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge just 13 days later.

Star of Mystery wintered in Dubai while making four starts against the boys at Meydan Racecourse, taking the Al Wasl in her seasonal debut on Jan. 12 ahead of a score in the Blue Point Sprint (G2) on Jan. 26 that garnered a 109 TimeForm Rating. She completed a bustling winter campaign with runner-up efforts in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint (G3) on March 2 and the Al Quoz Sprint (G1) on March 30, the last three Dubai efforts coming against older company.

Last out, the well-traveled bay took on older males once more, finishing third in the Jaipur (G1), a 5 1/2-furlong sprint on Belmont Stakes day at Saratoga won in course-record fashion by Cogburn.

“She gained valuable experience on that first start as well at Saratoga, so she goes there in good order,” Appleby said.

Star of Mystery remained in New York after the Jaipur at Godolphin’s Greentree facility located adjacent to Saratoga. She worked a half-mile in 50.88 Friday over the training turf.

Out of the Shamardal mare Mistrusting, Star of Mystery is a half-sister to the Appleby-trained 2021 Grade 1 Just a Game and Grade 1 Diana winner Althiqa.

Pipsy broke in the air and trailed in last place of 10 before rallying from 10 lengths off the pace to capture the six-furlong Soaring Softly (G3) on May 12 at Belmont at the Big A.

Pipsy launched her career in her native Ireland with trainer Ger Lyons, posting a pair of wins, including a prominent score in the Irish Stallion Farms E.B.F Legacy in October traveling five furlongs over synthetic at Dundalk.

She was purchased for $928,489 at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale and moved to trainer William Walden, who was delighted with the eye-catching effort from the Kodiac bay over good going in her U.S. debut.

“Going that short on the grass, if you miss the break, you’re lucky if you hit the board let alone mow them all down in the stretch to win. I thought it was an exceptional effort,” Walden said. “The way it played out was a big part of the decision to try the mile in the Tepin because she was able to rate and come with a late run.”

Pipsy was stretched in distance last out in the one-mile Tepin on June 29 at Churchill Downs where she broke sharply under Flavien Prat and sped away through splits of 23.83 and 47.76 before fading to last of eight.

“We knew she had the tactical speed to be on the front end if she wanted to be. That being said, she broke real well and no one else went,” Walden said. “He (Prat) took the hand he was dealt, and she got a little keen. The horse in second (Just Better) that ended up pressing her the whole way was getting away from her rider a little bit, but at the end of the day, I don’t know if she had a perfect trip if she was going to win that day.

“I don’t think she wants the mile. She’s not bred for it and doesn’t look like it, but it’s a question we needed to answer,” Walden added. “We got the answer we didn’t want, but it’s the answer nonetheless so we’ll move forward from there.”