Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint: Race goes through Lady Aurelia

It would be fair to call the 16 horses pre-entered in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 4 at Del Mar an eclectic group. The runners pointed to the five-furlong race range from a past Turf Sprint winner to a horse coming in off a claim.

The race likely goes through Lady Aurelia, a 3-year-old filly who has established herself as one of the world’s elite turf sprinters. Though she has raced just seven times, Lady Aurelia owns two wins at the prestigious Royal Ascot meet and is undefeated in two domestic starts. Wesley Ward trains the filly for Stonestreet Stables and Peter Leidel.

Owner Patricia Generazio and trainer Christophe Clement pre-entered a pair of live homebreds in Disco Partner and Pure Sensation.

Disco Partner set the world record for six furlongs on turf in the Grade 3 Jaipur Stakes in June and enters off a win in the Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational. The victory was so dominant that it convinced Generazio to pay the supplemental fee to nominate Disco Partner to the Breeders’ Cup.

Pure Sensation enters his third Turf Sprint off a win in the Grade 3 Turf Monster at Parx Racing.

Rockingham Ranch pre-entered a pair of runners trained by Peter Miller. Stormy Liberal was a $40,000 claim late last year and subsequently had success on Santa Anita’s downhill course, winning the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes two starts back.

Also running for Rockingham Ranch is Richard’s Boy, who started the season against California-breds, shipped to Dubai to run fifth in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint, returned to win the Jim McKay Turf Sprint on the Preakness card, then returned to statebred competition.

The Indiana-bred Bucchero upset the Grade 2 Woodford Stakes in his first turf start of the season and is 3 for 6 at five furlongs on grass.

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Mongolian Saturday returns for his third Turf Sprint. He won the 2015 edition at Keeneland and would join Mizdirection as the race’s only two-time winners.

Holding Gold stepped up his game after being gelded prior to his 4-year-old season and won the Grade 2 Shakertown Stakes in April.

Also being supplemented into the race is Hogy, who won the Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint in his first start off an $80,000 claim.

The international contingent will be represented by three contenders. Marsha will make her final start in the Turf Sprint before going through the auction ring in December. She nipped Lady Aurelia by a nose in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes before finishing second in the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp.

Washington DC, an Irish-bred Group 3 winner, will attempt to give the Coolmore partnership and trainer Aidan O’Brien their first Turf Sprint win. Cotai Glory finished second in his first North American start, the Grade 2 Nearctic Stakes.

Four horses sit on the alternates list – the Doug O’Neill-trained duo of B Squared and Guns Loaded, the Chilean-bred Paquita Coqueta, and Tombelaine, who was claimed for $100,000 in his most recent start.

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