Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint: Bacio blitzes field in front-running score

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LEXINGTON, Ky. − Nobody likes a fast horse more than Wesley Ward and Bacio may have proven to be the fastest horse he’s ever trained.

In a race seemingly loaded with speed, the 3-year-old Bacio outsprinted them all to the lead. After putting away some pressure from Europe’s Miss Yechance, Bacio bounded clear to a two-length victory in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland.

Cy Fair, last year’s Juvenile Turf Sprint winner, rallied to get second by a neck over Starlust, the 2024 Turf Sprint winner. There was a dead-heat for fourth between Time to Dazzle and Comanche Brave, the latter the 9-5 favorite.

Bacio’s victory set off a raucous celebration as it seemed like everybody in the Keeneland grandstand was part-owner of Bacio, who is owned by the My Racehorse partnership, which does include several thousand owners of this colt. He is also owned by Torie Gladwell, the breeder.

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Bacio won for the fourth time in as many starts this year as he recorded his sixth win from seven career starts. Two of his wins came in Great Britain, a handicap at Royal Ascot and the Group 1 Nunthorpe in York. On Saturday night, Bacio was was scheduled to enter quarantine for a trip to Australia where he will run in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes in February.

Ward, who won the 2021 Turf Sprint with Golden Pal, was asked if Bacio was the fastest horse he ever trained.

“He’s very, very fast, he’s won the Breeders’ Cup, he won the Nunthorpe and my others haven’t,” Ward said. “I hope we can conquer something that I never have, the biggest sprint race in Australia. We’ll see what happens.”

Juan Hernandez rode Baccio to victory, the first for Hernandez in a Breeders’ Cup race with his 31st mount. He had finished second six times.

“Yeah, a lot of seconds, close three times, literally by a nose,” Hernandez said. “I’m glad to day I get one, break my maiden in the Breeders’ Cup. Hopefully, it’s one of many more.”

Ride fast horses like Bacio and more should be in the offing. the

Bacio, breaking from post 3 in a field of 14, was actually third away from gate, but he quickly assumed the front and had Miss Yechance, under Jack Nicholls, to his outside after a quarter in 21.23 seconds. Around the far turn, Bacio began to pull away from Miss Yechance and the closers appeared to have too much to do, even as Bacio ran a half-mile in 43.86 seconds.

“A question of mine was if he was going to get a hold of the track, the last part because his first few works back from being over in York he really wasn’t getting a hold of it,” said Ward, who trains at Keeneland. “He was really kicking up the ground. I didn’t celebrate until one jump before the wire then I was really happy.”

Hernandez’s biggest concern was in midstretch when Bacio appeared to shy away from the bushes that are along the outside rail.

“Turning for home he switched leads and when I asked him, he gave me a couple of good jumps,” Hernandez said. “He saw the bushes and he surprised me. I only had one hand on my reins. I was showing him the whip. He got spooked a little bit, I lost my balance for a second. Good thing he came back [underneath me] again and I got back in the saddle.”

Bacio, a 3-year-old son of Maclean’s Music, covered the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:02.11 and returned $6.36 as the favorite.

Cy Fair, a 3-year-old filly who beat the boys in last year’s Juvenile Turf Sprint, raced in midpack under John Velazquez and came with an outside rally to get second in a multiple-horse photo.

George Weaver, trainer of Cy Fair, thought there would be more horses in the field to entertain Bacio.

“Sometimes I feel like that happens, when there’s a race loaded with speed, one horse gets the better jump and the rest of them are like ‘we’re not going to engage,’” Weaver said. “Basically, Bacio got things his own way. Hat’s off to him, he’s a really great horse, he’s done some great things this year. Our filly’s been great to us.”

Cy Fair is catalogued to be sold Monday at the Fasig-Tipton sale.

Bacio is on his way to Australia and to see if he truly is the fastest horse in the world.

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