Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint draws overflow cast of 26
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The Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint was always going to require cuts, and after 26 horses pre-entered the race earlier this week, the merciless process began. With five horses earning a Win and You’re In berth and another two qualifying on points, 19 horses were left to scrap over the seven remaining spots in the main field.
Of the seven that were chosen by the Breeders’ Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel, five were American-based runners long expected to be contending for a victory in the $1 million race. Last year’s Turf Sprint winner Shisospicy and Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Cy Fair both made the cut, along with recent Grade 2 winners Joe Shiesty, John the Beer Man, and Roja.
The international runners plucked into contention were Starlust, the 2024 Turf Sprint winner who has not won in Europe since, and Lugal, who remains winless in four starts in Japan this year.
With those seven filling in the main field, 12 pre-entered horses have been denied a spot for now, though they could still qualify with defections or through one of four spots on the also-eligible list. Yellow Card, Big Mojo, No Nay Hudson, and Doncho were the last four out and stand a much better chance of finding their way in.
Nobals, the 2023 Turf Sprint winner, is one of many buried deep on the list of pre-entries. Ecoro Reve, a Japanese-based colt, has already withdrawn from the race.
Even among those who automatically qualified in this year’s Turf Sprint, the race would have already been wide open. Bacio, a Group 1 winner in Europe based at Keeneland for Wesley Ward, will be the likely favorite in the deep field, but he is far from alone.
The European runners Comanche Brave and Miss Yechance both earned Win and You’re In bids closer to home and have been pre-entered by Donnacha O’Brien and Karl Burke, respectively. Comanche Brave would ship to the United States in white-hot form after back-to-back Group 1 victories, while Miss Yechance has improved with each start in her 3-year-old campaign, culminating in a win in the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp earlier this month.
Possiblemente, winner of the Grade 2 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint, was pre-entered by Joe Sharp, who is predictably keen to take advantage of the expenses-paid opportunity. He will attempt to buck a negative trend of Kentucky Downs winners struggling to maintain form at the Breeders’ Cup.
Trainer Phil D’Amato also pre-entered Sorrento Sky after the connections successfully raised the funds to nominate him for the event. The gelding automatically qualified after winning the Grade 2 Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar in August, and another victory in the Grade 2 Eddie D helped provide money to cover the late nomination fee.
Time to Dazzle, a late addition to the Turf Sprint picture, qualified on points and was pre-entered after winning the Grade 2 Franklin for Mark Casse on Oct. 11. The 5-year-old mare is joined by In Our Time, who qualified by winning the Grade 1 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Sprint for Saffie Joseph Jr. in August.
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