BC Countdown - Sprint: Longshot arrives on six-race win streak

Xtra Heat and Bonapaw will enter the Breeders' Cup Sprint on three-race wins streaks, likely favorite Orientate has won his last four starts, and Gygistar, who is not definite to run, is undefeated in his last five outings. But the horse coming into the Sprint on the biggest roll is Disturbingthepeace, who has won six consecutive races, including three Grade 2 handicaps, the Triple Bend, Bing Crosby, and Pat O'Brien.

Yet despite Disturbingthepeace's streak, which dates back to mid-March, he is considered among the longshots in the Sprint. In fact, he is not even rated atop the West Coast contingent, which includes Kona Gold, Swept Overboard, and Kalookan Queen.

That's fine with Disturbingthepeace's trainer, Darrell Vienna.

"We're like a stealth bomber," Vienna said. "And I wouldn't trade places with anyone coming into this race."

Disturbingthepeace was an unlikely Sprint candidate when he was still struggling to win a statebred first-level allowance race last winter. But since breaking through to win a seven-furlong race at Santa Anita on March 20 he has been unbeatable, with his most impressive performance during the streak being a three-length victory over D'wildcat in Hollywood Park's Triple Bend on July 6. That performance that earned him a 111 Beyer Speed Figure.

"He was looking around in his earlier races, running irregularly around the turn, and just not focusing," said Vienna when asked for the key to Disturbingthepeace's sudden improvement. "He just overcame all those bad habits with maturity."

Disturbingthepeace has not started since defeating Hot Market by a head in Del Mar's seven-furlong Pat O'Brien Handicap on Aug. 18. Vienna opted to forgo a traditional prep for Disturbingthepeace, and has brought him up to the Sprint off a series of workouts.

"I prefer to train him up to the Breeders' Cup because you have better control of a horse during workouts than in a race," said Vienna. "You never know how much energy a tough race might take out of them."

Vienna knows what it takes to bring a horse into the Sprint off a series of works. He trained Gilded Time, who in 1993 finished third in the Sprint in his first start since winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile a year earlier.

Vienna breezed Disturbingthepeace at Santa Anita on Wednesday, and plans to ship him to Chicago on Saturday and work him over the Arlington Park strip on Tuesday.

Cranking up Swept Overboard

Trainer Craig Dollase said he was "a little disappointed" in Swept Overboard's fourth-place finish behind Kalookan Queen in defense of his title in Santa Anita's Ancient Title Handicap. Dollase said he will have to "crank him up a little bit" before the Sprint. The Ancient Title was Swept Overboard's first start since winning Belmont's Metropolitan Handicap on May 27.

"He was just a little short in the Ancient Title but he'll benefit from the race," said Dollase. "It was like getting three works into him. That wasn't his 'A' race the other day, but the Arlington Park track, with its long stretch, should benefit closers, and he's always shown he can step up and run some dynamic races."