Bet On Sunshine bettors had better pay attention to Breeders' Cup sprints

The featured race on Saturday at Churchill Downs, where a Breeders’ Cup watch party will also be held, is the $300,000 Bet On Sunshine Stakes for older sprinters.

Those evaluating the Bet On Sunshine until the last minute will be keenly watching the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar, which goes off at 3:41 p.m. Eastern, and the Sprint, which goes at 4:21. Several horses in the Bet On Sunshine – with a post of 4:48 locally – have faced a number of different entrants in those two races, providing a last class evaluation for this field as they assemble.

Roll On Big Joe (fourth), Durante (fifth), and Ajaayb (sixth) are all exiting the Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes, won by prominent Breeders’ Cup Sprint candidate Bentornato in dominant fashion. Roll On Big Joe and Durante are both graded stakes winners on this Churchill Downs track. Roll On Big Joe, trained by Robert Hess, won the Grade 3 Kelly’s Landing over Dr. Venkman – also bound for the Sprint – and Durante. Roll On Big Joe traveled to California to finish fifth in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby behind Sprint entrant Lovesick Blues before returning to Louisville before his most recent start.

Durante won the Grade 3 Aristides before finishing third in the Kelly’s Landing for David Jacobson. Three unplaced efforts followed, including a failed turf experiment behind Bear River and Khaadem, both entered for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. After the Louisville Thoroughbred Society, he bounced back with an improved effort in the Grade 2 Phoenix at Keeneland, beaten a neck by Del Mar-bound Nakatomi after leading late.

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Millionaire Surveillance, always a class horse, has faced the likes of sprint divisional leader Book’em Danno – who is bypassing the Breeders’ Cup – Sprint entrant Mullikin, and Turf Sprint entrant Bring Theband Home this year. After being claimed by Mike Maker over the summer, Surveillance is coming off a stakes win at Remington.

Champlin, although he is winless this year, has never been worse than second at Churchill Downs for locally based Greg Foley. He was second by a neck in this race last year.

The likable Iowa-bred Glengarry has never raced at Churchill Downs, but he was an open-company stakes winner at Keeneland at ages 2 and 3. He has spent his 4-year-old season competing at Prairie Meadows in his home state for Doug Anderson, with three wins and four seconds from seven starts.

The Churchill Downs card has a first post of 1 p.m. Eastern and ends at 7:20, meaning the lights will be on at the track by the time the card finishes. The Saturday Breeders’ Cup races on the opposite coast at Del Mar run from 3 to 8:25 p.m. Eastern, with the marquee Classic at 6:25 p.m. Wagering and viewing will be available in the simulcast area on the second floor of the Churchill clubhouse, as well as in select dining spaces.

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