It is not every day a stakes race is filed solely with horses that have all been stakes winners at some point in their careers.
But that rings true April 12 in an overfilled and ultra-talented $400,000 Giant's Causeway Stakes (G2T) field at Keeneland. Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse sends out two competitors, led by last year's Franklin Stakes (G2T) winner Time to Dazzle, who is quickly returning to the races stateside after a run in Saudi Arabia. The body of 12 in the field have all been stakes winners at some point in their careers.
Going 5 1/2 furlongs on the Keeneland turf course, Time to Dazzle, posted at morning-line odds of 6-1. The 5-year-old Not This Time mare is making her first start back in America after a trip overseas in Saudi Arabia, where she finished fourth in the 1351 Turf Sprint (G2T) behind the David Fawkes trainee Reef Runner. Time to Dazzle has not been seen in North America since finishing out her 4-year-old season with a win in the Oct. 12 Franklin Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland, which is run at the same distance as the Giant's Causeway. Owned by Tracy Farmer, she has won four races from 15 starts, and earned her first stakes victory as a 3-year-old in the Ontario Colleen Stakes (G3T) at Woodbine.
Video
Casse's second entrant, Creed's Gold, 10-1 on the morning line, is looking to make it three wins in a row. The 5-year-old daughter of Jimmy Creed , owned by Kristin Meldahl, won the Hendrie Stakes (G3) in July of last year, earning her first stakes victory. She did not race again until Feb. 14, when she won the Lightning City Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. Both her stakes victories have been earned at the sprinting distance.
In a rare occurrence, the morning-line favorite in Shining Star is on the outside looking in. She drew post position 13 in an overflow field of 16, and only 12 will run. Trained by Brad Cox and owned by Sumaya U.S Stable, she has won three races in a row in America after beginning her career in Chile.
The race is named after the legendary racehorse and stallion, Giant's Causeway. He was a multiple group 1 winner in Europe and was second to Tiznow in his lone dirt start, the 2000 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs. Upon his retirement from racing, he stood primarily at Ashford Stud in Kentucky until he died in 2018 after a brief illness at the age of 21. He is now represented by his son Not This Time, the current leading sire, who is the sire of Giant's Causeway entrants Time to Dazzle and the Saffie Joseph Jr. trainee In Our Time.
Entries: Giant's Causeway S. Presented by Keeneland Select (G2T)
Keeneland, Sunday, April 12, 2026, Race 7
- Grade IIT
- 5 1/2f
- Turf
- $400,000
- 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
- 4:12 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1Movin' On Up (KY) | Jose L. Ortiz | 122 | Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. | 12/1 |
| 2 | 2Charlene's Dream (TX) | Juan J. Hernandez | 122 | Ed Moger, Jr. | 6/1 |
| 3 | 3Twirling Queen (KY) | Luis Saez | 122 | Jose Francisco D'Angelo | 15/1 |
| 4 | 4Egyptian Mau (SAF) | Florent Geroux | 122 | Neil D. Drysdale | 20/1 |
| 5 | 5Gratefully (KY) | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 122 | Robert N. Falcone, Jr. | 4/1 |
| 6 | 6Pondering (KY) | Tyler Gaffalione | 122 | Brendan P. Walsh | 10/1 |
| 7 | 7In Our Time (KY) | Flavien Prat | 122 | Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. | 5/1 |
| 8 | 8Big Trouble (KY) | Declan Cannon | 122 | Gregory D. Foley | 15/1 |
| 9 | 9Love Cervere (KY) | Junior Alvarado | 122 | Miguel Clement | 10/1 |
| 10 | 10Saturday Flirt (KY) | Walter A. Rodriguez | 122 | Wesley A. Ward | 8/1 |
| 11 | 11Time to Dazzle (KY) | John R. Velazquez | 122 | Mark E. Casse | 6/1 |
| 12 | 12Creed's Gold (KY) | Javier Castellano | 122 | Mark E. Casse | 10/1 |
| 13 | 13Shining Star (CHI) | Jose L. Ortiz | 122 | Brad H. Cox | 3/1 |
| 14 | 14Me Governor (KY) | Mario Gutierrez | 122 | Carlos A. David | 20/1 |
| 15 | 15Saratoga Special (IRE) | Hector Isaac Berrios | 122 | Richard Baltas | 9/2 |
| 16 | 16Tempting Eve (KY) | Luan Machado | 122 | Chris A. Hartman | 15/1 |
