BBN Racing’s Kentucky-bred Kilwin rallied from well off the pace to win a thrilling renewal of the 100th running of the $500,000 Test S. (G1) at Saratoga on Saturday, Aug. 2.

Trained by Rusty Arnold and patiently handled by Jose Ortiz after a stumbling start, the Twirling Candy bay entered from an impressive stalking score in the seven-furlong Leslie’s Lady S. on June 8 at Churchill Downs. The versatile filly had made five previous starts on turf, taking the Untapable S. in September at Kentucky Downs along with a closing second to Shisopicy in the Mamzelle S. (G3) in May at Churchill Downs.

Kilwin spotted the field seven lengths in last-of-8 after the troubled beginning. Me and Molly McGee won a pace battle to mark the opening quarter-mile in 22.52 seconds over the fast main track and she took the field into the turn with Echo Sound looming large. Kilwin followed a move by Ragtime, and those two foes quickly overtook the frontrunners in the lane. They battled gamely to the wire before Kilwin surged on the far outside to win by a neck in a final time of 1:23.10.

“She was moving very well, and I thought I had a shot turning for home,” said Ortiz. “Honestly, I was following the right horse, and I knew Junior [Alvarado] was traveling really nicely. I cut the corner, and I was following him. Then I came out and she gave me that extra kick that I needed inside the eighth-pole.”

Kilwin is Kentucky Downs Bound

Arnold indicated that Kilwin will return to turf next out in the $2 million [$1 million KTDF] Music City S. (G2), a 6 1/2-furlong sprint on Sept. 6 at Kentucky Downs.

“She is going to Kentucky Downs to run in the Music City. It is $2 million, and she’s won there. It is a good problem [turf or dirt] to have,” Arnold said.

Bred in Kentucky by Gilder-Schwarz Farms, Kilwin banked $275,000 in victory while improving her record to 7-4-1-0. Kilwin is a half-sister to Grade 2-winning millionaire One Timer and Grade 1-placed Just Basking out of the Blame mare Spanish Star, a half-sister to 2019 Grade 1 Belmont Stakes-winner Sir Winston. Her second dam is Grade 1-placed La Gran Bailadora.