Tejano Twist Joins Millionaire Club In Bet On Sunshine

JD Thoroughbreds and Joey Keith Davis’s Tejano Twist (4g Practical Joke x Haley’s Lolipop, by Cuvee) registered his fourth career stakes victory on Saturday with a win in the Listed Bet On Sunshine Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Last early on in the six-furlong dirt race, the Practical Joke son raced nearly 10 lengths behind the leaders before creeping closer as the field raced into the turn. By the time they turned into the stretch, Tejano Twist was ready to make a serious run to the finish and did just that going into the final furlong.

Taking command before they reached the final sixteenth, he pulled away to win by 1 ½ lengths.

It was the eighth career win for the Chris Hartman trainee, who took his earnings over the $1 million mark in this race. He’s hit the board in 18 of 27 races with his 11 stakes placings led by the Grade III Whitmore Stakes. The gelding has won at least one stakes in each of his three seasons of racing.

The Tom Durant-bred is a half-sister to stakes winner Game Day Play out of Grade III-placed Haley’s Lolipop. That mare is a half-sister to Grade III winner Maddalena, Grade III-placed Tale of the Nile and stakes-placed Crazy Uncle Rick. Maddalena is also the dam of Grade II winner Bern Identity and four other stakes performer while another half-sister is the dam of stakes placed Wasabi Girl.

Practical Joke is the sire of eight stakes winners and 22 stakes performers in 2023, led by one Grade I winner and four Grade I performers overall.