Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint: Rosario will have to work out a trip from post 1

Big Invasion drew the inside post in a field of 12 in Saturday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at five furlongs at Santa Anita.

While post 1 might spook some trainers, Christophe Clement is taking an opposite approach, hoping an inside draw will work for his seven-time stakes winner.

“The shortest way around is from the rail,” Clement said.

Big Invasion is a closer, and that may be an advantage for a 4-year-old colt with an inside post.

If Big Invasion were the sort of runner who sets the pace, he would need to show remarkable speed to maintain position from the inside while facing expected pressure in a big field. As a closer, the onus will be on jockey Joel Rosario to settle Big Invasion early and find a way through the field. The key to a win is finding a clear run in a fast race with little margin for error.

“He’s going to come from off the pace and not too far,” Clement said. “Joel will have to work out a trip.”

Big Invasion has won in that manner repeatedly.

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Big Invasion, a winner of 8 of 14 starts, won a maiden race at about five furlongs on turf from the rail in his second career start in February 2022. The victory was the first in a six-race winning streak through August of 2022 that included five stakes wins in turf sprints.

During the streak of stakes wins, Big Invasion was as close as second early and as far back as fifth.

This year, Big Invasion has won 2 of 6 starts for owner Dean Reeves.

Big Invasion opened the season with a win in the Silks Run Stakes at five furlongs on turf at Gulfstream Park in March.

Later in the spring, Big Invasion closed well to finish second in the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes at six furlongs on turf at Belmont Park on June 10. Two weeks later, he was 13th on a straightaway course in the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in Britain.

In his last two starts, Big Invasion finished second by a neck in the Harvey Pack Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf at Saratoga on Sept. 2, and won the Grade 2 Nearctic Stakes at six furlongs on a yielding turf course at Woodbine on Oct. 8, closing from seventh in a field of 13 to win by a head.

The victory clinched a trip to California for Saturday’s race.

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