In her second start, Fionn hinted that she might be something above the ordinary, taking a Fair Grounds maiden special weight on the turf by 4¼ lengths under a hand ride. On July 5, she fulfilled that promise, nipping favored Nitrogen on the line to take the Belmont Invitational Oaks Stakes (USA-G1) at Saratoga. In the process, she set a new course record of 1:44.84 for 9 furlongs and boosted her lifetime record to five wins and two placings from seven starts. A US$75,000 yearling purchase, she has now earned US$624,270 for trainer Brad Cox and owners George Messina and Michael Lee.
Bred by Bill Shiveley’s Dixiana Farms, Fionn is the 11th Grade/Group 1 winner sired by 2010 Malibu Stakes winner Twirling Candy, who stands at Lane’s End. A quirky but talented racehorse, Twirling Candy is arguably second only to Gun Runner among Candy Ride’s sons at stud and has shown surprising strength as a turf sire, leading all American sires of grass runners in 2024 according to The Blood-Horse. Fionn is his second winner of the Belmont Invitational Oaks, following Concrete Rose in 2019. Twirling Candy is currently ninth on the American general sire list and, following Fionn’s big win and a win in the Kelso Stakes (USA-G3) by Think Big on the same card, has a narrow lead over Medaglia d’Oro in the turf sire standings.
Fionn is the first foal of the Giant’s Causeway mare Gaelic Gold, a mare that Shiveley obtained for US$275,000 through the 2021 Keeneland November sale with Fionn in utero. Her second foal, the 2023 Essential Quality colt Essential Storm, has yet to start but posted two 3-furlong works at Lone Star in June; he was a US$105,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland September for Jeffrey and Julie Puryear. Gaelic Gold has since produced a yearling colt by Connect and a 2025 colt by Jackie’s Warrior.
A runner who placed in half her six starts, Gaelic Gold is a half sister to Sea Foam (by Medaglia d’Oro), a winner of five restricted stakes for New York-breds. She is also a half sister to the stakes-placed Hard Spun gelding Straw Into Gold. Their dam, Strike It Rich (by Unbridled’s Song), won the 2010 Boiling Springs Stakes (USA-G3) and is a half sister to stakes winners Tomlin (by Distorted Humor) and Ari Oakley (by Gun Runner). Strike It Rich is also a half sister to stakes-placed Sumptuous (by Hennessy), dam of 2024 Santa Maria Stakes (USA-G2) winner Coffee in Bed (by Curlin) and 2018 Toboggan Stakes (USA-G3) winner Great Stuff (by Quality Road).
Strike It Rich and her siblings were produced from 2003 Silverbulletday Stakes (USA-G3) winner Belle of Perrintown, by 1993 American champion 2-year-old male Dehere. Belle of Perrintown, in turn, is out of the unraced Mr. Prospector mare Hot Match (out of 1988 Fantasy Stakes, USA-G1, winner Jeanne Jones, by Nijinsky II), a half sister to Grade 1-placed stakes winner Roman Treasure (by Roman Ruler).
This female line traces back to the early 20th-century foundation mare Etoile Filante and in its other branches includes American champions Fair Star, Fairy Chant, Parlo, Arts and Letters, and Silverbulletday as well as 1934 Preakness Stakes winner High Quest. Historically, Etoile Filante’s line has had something of a “hit or miss” quality, but in Fionn, it clearly has a hit. Time will tell if that hit proves to be a home run.
Bred by Bill Shiveley’s Dixiana Farms, Fionn is the 11th Grade/Group 1 winner sired by 2010 Malibu Stakes winner Twirling Candy, who stands at Lane’s End. A quirky but talented racehorse, Twirling Candy is arguably second only to Gun Runner among Candy Ride’s sons at stud and has shown surprising strength as a turf sire, leading all American sires of grass runners in 2024 according to The Blood-Horse. Fionn is his second winner of the Belmont Invitational Oaks, following Concrete Rose in 2019. Twirling Candy is currently ninth on the American general sire list and, following Fionn’s big win and a win in the Kelso Stakes (USA-G3) by Think Big on the same card, has a narrow lead over Medaglia d’Oro in the turf sire standings.
Fionn is the first foal of the Giant’s Causeway mare Gaelic Gold, a mare that Shiveley obtained for US$275,000 through the 2021 Keeneland November sale with Fionn in utero. Her second foal, the 2023 Essential Quality colt Essential Storm, has yet to start but posted two 3-furlong works at Lone Star in June; he was a US$105,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland September for Jeffrey and Julie Puryear. Gaelic Gold has since produced a yearling colt by Connect and a 2025 colt by Jackie’s Warrior.
A runner who placed in half her six starts, Gaelic Gold is a half sister to Sea Foam (by Medaglia d’Oro), a winner of five restricted stakes for New York-breds. She is also a half sister to the stakes-placed Hard Spun gelding Straw Into Gold. Their dam, Strike It Rich (by Unbridled’s Song), won the 2010 Boiling Springs Stakes (USA-G3) and is a half sister to stakes winners Tomlin (by Distorted Humor) and Ari Oakley (by Gun Runner). Strike It Rich is also a half sister to stakes-placed Sumptuous (by Hennessy), dam of 2024 Santa Maria Stakes (USA-G2) winner Coffee in Bed (by Curlin) and 2018 Toboggan Stakes (USA-G3) winner Great Stuff (by Quality Road).
Strike It Rich and her siblings were produced from 2003 Silverbulletday Stakes (USA-G3) winner Belle of Perrintown, by 1993 American champion 2-year-old male Dehere. Belle of Perrintown, in turn, is out of the unraced Mr. Prospector mare Hot Match (out of 1988 Fantasy Stakes, USA-G1, winner Jeanne Jones, by Nijinsky II), a half sister to Grade 1-placed stakes winner Roman Treasure (by Roman Ruler).
This female line traces back to the early 20th-century foundation mare Etoile Filante and in its other branches includes American champions Fair Star, Fairy Chant, Parlo, Arts and Letters, and Silverbulletday as well as 1934 Preakness Stakes winner High Quest. Historically, Etoile Filante’s line has had something of a “hit or miss” quality, but in Fionn, it clearly has a hit. Time will tell if that hit proves to be a home run.
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