Diamond Oops Wins Twin Spires Turf Sprint

Sep 04, 2020 Churchill Downs Communications

LOUISVILLE, KY (Friday, Sept. 4, 2020) – Diamond 100 Racing Club, Amy Dunne, D P Racing and Patrick Biancone Racing’s Diamond Oops found racing room along the rail in deep stretch to edge favored Extravagant Kid by a neck to win the 26th running of the $250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint Presented by Sysco (GII).

Trained by Patrick Biancone and ridden by Florent Geroux, Diamond Oops covered the 5 ½ furlongs on a Matt Winn Turf Course rated as good in 1:04.18.

The victory was the fifth of the afternoon for Geroux who took the day’s final three races with scores in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) on Shedaresthedevil and the La Troienne (GI) on Monomoy Girl.

Diamond Oops is a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Lookin At Lucky out of the Whywhywhy mare Patriotic Viva. The winner’s share of $144,150 increased Diamond Oops’ earnings to $948,590 with a record of 15-6-3-1.

The Twin Spires Turf Sprint marked a return to the grass for Diamond Oops whose most recent turf start was last October with a runner-up finish in the Shadwell Turf Mile (GI) at Keeneland.

Diamond Oops returned $10, $4.40 and $3.40. Extravagant Kid, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, returned $3.40 and $3 with Just Might finishing a length back in third under Colby Hernandez and paying $5.40 to show.

It was another neck back to Chaps who was followed in order by Real News, Smart Remark, Carotari, Jazzy Times, Chief Cicatriz, Tell Your Daddy, Fielder and Wellabled.

TWIN SPIRES TURF SPRINT QUOTES

Florent Geroux (winning rider, Diamond Oops) — “He ran big. He's an amazing horse. Patrick (Biancone) always told me this horse has a little bit of some kind of physical problems, but he has the heart of a champion. He'll run on any kind of surface, any distance, from six furlongs to a mile. We saw him last year when he almost pulled it off in the (Grade1) Shadwell Turf Mile. I have no idea what's next for him, because he runs turf, he runs dirt, he does everything.'

Brendan Walsh (trainer, Extravagant Kid, second) — 'He ran well. Looked like he had the race won. He did that the one time he got beat here at Churchill, he made the front a little too soon. But in fairness to (jockey) Tyler (Gaffalione), he thought he had everybody covered. You can't just sit on him. He had to go with it, and we got caught out. But hat's off to the winner. They won the race. But he showed up again. We can't ask for much more than that. It would have been nice to win, but there you go.'