Ag Bullet returns Aug. 29 to Kentucky Downs seeking a third consecutive victory in the $1.75 million Ladies Turf Sprint Stakes (G1T).
The 6-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy enters Saturday's 6 1/2-furlong race off a narrow runner-up finish to Reef Runner in her first start of 2026—the Jaipur Stakes (G1T) June 6—a race she won against the males last year.
Trainer Richard Baltas said he would like the mare, who has won more than $3 million during her career, to notch another grade 1 victory.
"This has been the plan all along to bring her back here," Baltas said. "In the Jaipur, she was just ready at that time, and she ran a great second. She ran against the boys last year and beat them then, and she got a grade 1 win out of that, but it would mean a lot to get another grade 1 win.
"I've won a lot of races and several stakes over there (at Kentucky Downs). I think the horses really like the open area that they have there. I just think the horses are happy there this time of the year. I've had a lot of luck there."
In last year's edition of the race, she defeated Simply in Front, who went on to win the First Lady Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland about a month later. Ag Bullet entered the sales ring last fall following her game second-place finish to Shisospicy in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Del Mar, where she failed to meet her reserve, bringing a final bid of $2.9 million.
Jockey Florent Geroux will ride Ag Bullet for the first time.
Among her top competition are Caress Stakes (G2T) second- and third-place finishers Zeitlos and In Our Time. Steve Asmussen trainee Zeitlos comes into the race off a two-week break after a confidence-boosting win in the 5 1/2-furlong Smart And Fancy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.
In addition to Resolute Racing and Miller Racing's In Our Time, Saffie Joseph Jr. also entered Caress Stakes winner Movin' On Up. The daughter of Accelerate turned in a bullet 3-furlong work in :34.60 Aug. 23.
Casse Enters Two in Juvenile Sprint
D. J. Stable's homebred Braums Run, who broke his maiden over the dirt July 19 at Saratoga in his second start, will return to the turf in Saturday's $750,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint Stakes for trainer Mark Casse, who also entered Sanford Stakes (G3) runner-up Vissino.
"I like this horse a lot," Casse said of Braums Run. "He's by Golden Pal, who's been a good first-year sire. He broke his maiden on dirt, but I've worked him on the grass, and he loves it."
Vissino finished second to Booked in the Sanford—10 1/2 lengths in front of third-place finisher Goodbye to Romance. Vissino will be making his first start on the grass.
"He's worked well on the grass also," Casse said. "I looked at him and thought he would like turf. He's breezed three times on the grass, and he seems to take to it well."
Dual stakes winner Waggley is cross-entered in the Untapable Stakes, and trainer Wesley Ward hinted toward skipping the Juvenile Sprint Stakes and opting to run her in the Untapable a day later.
Kentucky Downs, Saturday, August 29, 2026, Race 6Entries: Keeneland Sales Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Grand Yaupon (KY) Keith J. Asmussen 120 Steven M. Asmussen 15/1 2 2Good to Be King (KY) Axel Concepcion 120 George R. Arnold II 5/1 3 3Pinpoint (KY) Ben Curtis 120 Todd A. Pletcher 9/2 4 4Arctic Wolf (KY) Martin Garcia 120 Jack Sisterson 20/1 5 5Braums Run (KY) Dylan Davis 120 Mark E. Casse 12/1 6 6Mid American (KY) Jaime A. Torres 120 James P. DiVito 20/1 7 7Admiral's Order (KY) Luan Machado 120 Ben Colebrook 8/1 8 8Vissino (KY) Florent Geroux 120 Mark E. Casse 6/1 9 9Waggley (KY) Yedsit Hazlewood 117 Wesley A. Ward 5/2 10 10Boyhood Dream (FL) Francisco Arrieta 120 Nolan Ramsey 20/1 11 11Just a Holiday (KY) Pietro Moran 118 Wesley A. Ward 12/1 12 12Ultimit Warrior (KY) Christopher A. Emigh 118 Brittany A. Vanden Berg 30/1
