Kilwin takes Twin Bridges off 10-month layoff; G1 Ballerina likely target
Ellis Park stakes recap (Coady Media/Renee Torbit photo above of Kilwin winning the Twin Bridges under Edgar Morales)
HENDERSON, Ky. (Sunday, July 19, 2026) – BBN Racing and Rick Howard’s Grade I winner Kilwin returned from a 10-month layoff in dominant fashion Sunday when she captured the $175,000 Twin Bridges Stakes presented by Hausmann Outdoor Solutions by 2 1/4 lengths over favored Cash Call at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming.
Ridden by Edgar Morales for trainer Rusty Arnold II, Kilwin covered six furlongs in 1:09.12 over the listed good main track. It also was Kilwin’s first start for co-owner Howard, who teamed with BBN Racing to purchase the 4-year-old filly for $3 million at Keeneland’s November sale.
Kilwin now is 3-for-3 on dirt, having won Churchill Downs’ Leslie’s Lady last year before taking Saratoga’s Grade 1 Test. Back on the turf for the Grade 2 Music City at Kentucky Downs, where she had won the Untapable Stakes as a 2-year-old, Kilwin’s powerful late-kick never materialized in an eighth-place finish. Kilwin won her racing debut over Ellis Park’s turf course.
Trainer Rusty Arnold said via text Monday that Kilwin likely will be pointed for Saratoga’s Grade 1 Ballerina. The seven-furlong Ballerina is a Challenge Series race, meaning its winner gets a guaranteed fees-paid spot in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, to be held Oct. 31 at Keeneland, Arnold’s home track.
In the Twin Bridges, Kilwin rated in sixth as Asternia, Benedetta, 9-5 favorite Cash Call and Jersey Pearl engaged in a spirited four-way battle for the lead through an opening quarter-mile in :22.23 and a half-mile in :44.95. Morales tipped Kilwin four wide entering the stretch, and she powered past the tiring pacesetters to draw off for the convincing victory. Cash Call, a Grade 3 winner trained by Bob Baffert, came into the race off a Churchill Downs allowance victory.
Cash Call held second over Evanescence, followed by Benedetta, Jersey Pearl and Asternia.
Sent off at odds of 3-1, Kilwin rewarded her backers by returning $8.36 to win.
Kilwin is a 4-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy out of the Blame mare Spanish Star, was bred in Kentucky by Gilder-Schwarz Farms. She is a half-sister to Grade 2-winning turf sprinter One Timer.
The Twin Bridges victory was worth $106,208 and increased Kilwin’s career earnings to $551,576 off a 5-1-0 record in nine starts.
Live racing resumes Friday at Ellis Park with first post at 11:50 a.m. CT.
For the latest information about racing and gaming from Ellis Park, visit www.ellisparkowensboro.com.
AROUND THE PEA PATCH – Jockey Francisco Arrieta’s six-win day Saturday was the sixth time in modern Ellis Park history a rider won at least six races on a single card. Willie Martinez set the track record with seven victories on July 6, 1993. Four other riders have won six races on a card: Jon Court (Aug. 6, 2000), Orlando Mojica (July 7, 2007), Shaun Bridgmohan (Aug. 5, 2018) and Tyler Gaffalione (Aug. 10, 2025). Arrieta ended the week with a 16-10 lead over Ben Curtis in the jockey standings. Curtis will have an opportunity to make up ground over the next several racing days as Arrieta is scheduled to serve a three-day careless riding suspension July 25, 26 and 31 for an incident that occurred July 9. … Brendan Walsh holds a commanding 11-4 lead over Brad Cox in the trainer standings. No owner or ownership group has more than two wins…. Nominations for Ellis Park’s Summer Showcase weekend stakes will be released in the coming days. The two-day event on Aug. 1-2 features seven turf stakes worth a combined $1.75 million, with two stakes Saturday and five Sunday. The lineup is led by the $300,000 Green River Island Stakes presented by Sterling Industrial (Listed), $250,000 Pucker Up Stakes (Listed), $250,000 Sunkissed Stakes presented by Sterling Industrial (Listed), $250,000 Tri-State Turf Sprint Stakes (Listed), $250,000 Hummingbird Stakes (Listed), $250,000 Water Tower Stakes presented by Sterling Industrial and the $200,000 Riverside Rush Stakes. … Wiener and corgi dog racing returns to Ellis Park on Sunday as part of Family Weekend. Sunday’s races will serve as qualifiers for the finals Aug. 16.
