LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The 4-year-old colt Santin thrums with talent. You can see it in his breezes, see it in his races. But this is not a Thoroughbred whose blood boils hot. A chill dude, and Santin at times has lacked that last little spark that would ignite the full breadth of his ability. Saturday, fitted for the first time in a race with a set of blinkers, Santin put it all together, and the first stakes win of his short career came in the Grade 1, $1 million Old Forester Turf Classic. Santin had to fight tooth and nail to beat back Mira Mission, but fight he did, posting a neck victory in this important 1 1/8-mile grass fixture. It was the second day in a row here that trainer Brendan Walsh won a graded turf stakes with a horse adding blinkers. Friday, New Year’s Eve, blinkers on, was an eye-catching winner of the Edgewood Stakes.  “I’ll have to buy some more pairs,” Walsh quipped afterward. He can afford to. Walsh, a native of Ireland began training in 2011 and his career sprouted wings in 2021, his win total jumping from 57 to 81, stable earnings from $3.5 million to $7.5 million. This year is shaping even better, and Santin could be a big part of it. A Godolphin homebred 4-year-old by Distorted Humor out of Sentiero Italia, by Medaglia d’Oro, Santin didn’t even debut until last Sept. 29, when he won a maiden turf race in Indiana. Santin came right back with a Keeneland allowance win, and Walsh showed his confidence in the colt, sending him to California, where Santin nearly overcame post 14 and a slow pace, falling just short of winning the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby. :: Take your handicapping to the next level and play like a pro with free Formulator, DRF's premium data product Walsh and Godolphin circled the Old Forester Turf Classic as an early season goal for Santin, who finished fourth in the Fair Grounds Stakes on Feb. 19 and second March 26 in the Muniz Memorial. Those races were merely means to an end. “That was fine. He learned and gained some valuable experience,” Walsh said. “For a horse so lightly raced to come up against these horses that have run 10, 12, 15 times, he was always on the back foot. Today was the day.” Indeed, it was. Tyler Gaffalione left the gate running with Santin, hustling him into second place behind Tribhuvan, who had been sent along to take the lead. “That was the game plan. Seems like in his races we were leaving him a little too much to do,” Gaffalione said. With everyone, including the leaders, steering well off what seemed all day like a dead rail, Tribhuvan set moderate splits of 24.39 seconds and 49.02, Santin keeping tabs on him, Bizzee Channel on the inside and Mira Mission on the outside tracking the top two. Three-quarters went in 1:13.13, and coming into the homestretch, Mira Mission pressing up outside him, Santin tackled Tribhuvan. The leader gave way, but Mira Mission poked his head in front before Santin fought back to edge clear in deep stretch. “He’s not an overly aggressive horse but he was always there today,” Gaffalione said. “That was great. He’s still young, only run a few times.” Santin clocked 1:49.72 for 1 1/8 miles on firm going and paid $16.20. He was assigned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure. Asked if Santin would get 1 1/4 miles, Walsh said he didn’t see why not. Asked if Santin could start in the 1 1/4-mile Manhattan on the Belmont Stakes undercard, Walsh said nothing had been planned beyond Saturday. Mira Mission, well bet at 8-1 off a solid fifth in the Maker’s Mark Mile, ran gamely in defeat and continues to hold career-best form for trainer Ian Wilkes. “He’s been doing really good. We thought he was going to run a big race today, and he tried very hard,” jockey Julien Leparoux said. Six lengths separated Mira Mission from third-place Adhamo, and the 2-1 favorite struggled to kick into high gear Saturday. “He didn’t feel comfortable on the ground,” jockey Flavien Prat said. Behind Adhamo came Shirl’s Speight, Tribhuvan, Public Sector, Bizzee Channel, and Cavalry Charge, who was taken out of his game with a poor break. Kentucky Ghost, trailing from the start, was eased out the race in upper stretch and vanned off the course. Ivar was an early scratch. Santin’s record now stands at 6-3-2-0. He’s 1 for 1 with his new set of blinkers and could climb even higher this year.