BC Sprint: Pre-entries suggest small but select field

DEL MAR, Calif. – As expected, the field for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint will be a small but select one once again in 2017, a group that includes defending champion Drefong.

Only 11 horses were pre-entered for the six-furlong Sprint, seven of them Breeders’ Cup Challenge race winners. Two of the 11, Practical Joke and B Squared, have given first preference to the Dirt Mile and Turf Sprint, respectively, and are not expected to start in the Sprint.

Drefong gave trainer Bob Baffert his fifth Breeders’ Cup Sprint victory after defeating just six rivals to win the 2016 Sprint at Santa Anita. He’ll defend his title having made just two starts this year, and none since a decisive triumph in the Grade 1 Forego on Aug. 26 at Saratoga.

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Mind Your Biscuits, who rallied from last to finish third, 1 1/4 lengths behind Drefong in the 2016 Sprint, is the only other returnee from the race. Mind Your Biscuits was ultimately awarded second purse money after Masochistic was disqualified for testing positive for the banned steroid stanozolol.

Mind Your Biscuits also was pre-entered Monday for the Dirt Mile, although trainer Chad Summers said his horse is almost certain to run in the Sprint.

“We had the option to take a look at the Dirt Mile, so we took it, although I’d say there is probably only a 5 percent chance he’d run in the race,” said Summers, who shipped Mind Your Biscuits to Del Mar on Tuesday. “I ultimately think he’ll go a mile, but barring any unforeseen circumstances he’s going to run in the Sprint.”

Were Mind Your Biscuits to complete in the Dirt Mile, he’d likely need another rider. Joel Rosario is the regular jockey for both Mind Your Biscuits and Practical Joke.

Roy H, who avenged his lone setback this year, a second-place finish behind Ransom the Moon in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby, with a popular victory in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship, breezed an easy five furlongs in 1:03 at Santa Anita on Wednesday with jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard.

“I wasn’t looking for anything fancy, he’s been running pretty much every month and he’s dead fit,” trainer Peter Miller said. “The track is very deep and slow and tiring at Santa Anita, and Kent may also have overcompensated a little bit, afraid he might go too fast. But the horse is doing well, and we’re ready.”

Miller said Roy H would have an easy blowout Tuesday at Del Mar.

Miller also pre-entered Calculator for the Sprint, both his wins this year having come on turf. The Grade 1-placed Calculator has not started since a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien on Aug. 26 at Del Mar.

“He worked five furlongs in 59 3/5 at San Luis Rey this morning and did it easily,” Miller said. “He’s always day to day because of his feet, but if the race were today he’d be running. I plan on breezing him one more time at Del Mar. But if all goes well, I’m not afraid to run him because when he’s right, he’s as good as anyone.”

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