Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes 2021 Entries & Post Positions

The Grade II Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes is the shortest race on the Kentucky Oaks undercard coming in at a paltry five-and-a-half furlongs. The $250,000 purse has attracted 11 runners including the defending champion.

Check out all the Entries below and the Post Positions following the Post Position draw at Churchill Downs on Monday morning along with an overview from our editor.

It is rare in Horse Racing Stateside that you get to see a defending champion try to hold-onto their crown. With many races solely for two or three-year-olds - you’ll never get a repeat winner of say the Kentucky Derby. When you get to 3+ or 4+ however there are occasions when this happens and in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes - we have one of those.

The six-year-old Diamond Oops won this race on the rearranged Kentucky Oaks under card last September. This is one of those rare horses who has wins at Graded Stakes level on both dirt and the turf.

Last year he followed up a win in this race by taking out the Grade II Phoenix Stakes on dirt at Keeneland. His final two runs as a five-year-old were not great but it was clear he needed a bit of freshening up. The Patrick Biancone trained horse opens his six-year-old campaign here and is likely to be the favorite. Post Position 9 is where he's break from.

Carotari will attract some betting interest based on the fact he’s spent the vast majority of his career on turf and has a couple of decent wins. The best of those is probably the Runhappy Preview Turf Sprint at Ellis Park where he won. This five-year-old also has back-to-back wins in the Silks Run at Gulfstream. He's drawn the outside post.

Sombeyay is one of those rare Into Mischief offspring that I’m not all over. The Peter Miller trained five-year-old has two wins at Graded Stakes level to his name (both Grade III’s). Back in 2018 there was some very early season Kentucky Derby buzz following breaking his Maiden at Gulfstream but he was never really put on that road. He was switched primarily to turf back in the summer of 2019. Not one to be heavily fancied but his three finishes in 2021 have been 1st/4th/2nd.

Just Might surprised a fair few people by stealing a $5.40 payout for the Show in this race a year ago. Since then he’s struggled when stepping up in class - finishing 14th in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and 10th last time out in the Grade II Shakertown at Keeneland. Avoid.

Next up let's take a look at Classy John - who is one from one on turf having won last time out over five-and-a-half furlongs at Fair Grounds. That sounds good but when you consider this was his first win since breaking his Maiden up at Saratoga in August of 2018, it doesn't sound so great. Maybe though turf is the way to go? Still a long-shot.

Several horses were entered who weren't on the probables list. Smart Remark was second in this race back in 2019 but dropped to sixth last year. He has been entered once more. He hasn't hit the board on turf since a second-place finish at the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint back in the same year. Tough to think he's getting better with age.

Guildsman has a Graded Stakes win to his name - a Grade III at the Franklin Simpson during the 2020 Kentucky Downs meet. Since that run though he's gone 5th/9th/8th. Yeah, not a sound pick here.

Thomas Albertrani sends out a bit of an unknown but interesting Fiya. Three wins from three all on the turf at six furlongs or shorter. Hasn't been in the best company to say the least but those wins have all come at three different tracks (Belmont, Laurel Park, Gulfstream Park) and our editor is a known fan of Friesan Fire horses. One to keep an on.

Ambassador Luna, Fast Boat and Johnny Unleashed round out the field of 11.

We’ll have full coverage of the 2021 Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes here on horseracing.net/us - our turf-man will publish his horse-by-horse analysis of the race on Tuesday and our full Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes handicapping preview will go live from our in-house handicapper late on Thursday. So bookmark the site for full Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes coverage throughout the week.

You can bet on the Twin Spires Turf Sprint with our partners - AMWager, BetAmerica, TVG and TwinSpires. Just click on the Morning Line Odds of the horse you want to bet on via our Race Card below and choose which sign-up offer suits you best and click on that link. Then you'll be taken to their website to sign-up and Place your Twin Spires Turf Sprint bet...