Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint: Sorrento Sky to be supplemented
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Sorrento Sky will be supplemented to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint for $200,000, while Repo Man and Ag Bullet will not start in Breeders’ Cup races at Keeneland later this month.
Sorrento Sky, winner of two Grade 2 turf sprints at Del Mar and Santa Anita since late August, will have slightly new ownership for the BC Turf Sprint. Mark Martinez of Agave Racing has joined the existing partnership of Sandra Benowitz, John Rochfort, Ian McLean, Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig, and Marc Lantzman, according to Nentwig and trainer Phil D’Amato.
“I think that helped fund the expenses,” D’Amato said of Martinez.
Sorrento Sky earned a fees-paid berth to the BC Turf Sprint at 5 1/2 furlongs on Oct. 31 with a win in the Grade 2 Green Flash Handicap at five furlongs on turf Aug. 22 at Del Mar. Sorrento Sky, however, was not nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program as a foal in 2021, leading to the expensive supplemental fee. The fee is due Monday when pre-entries will be taken.
Sorrento Sky won consecutive stakes for the first time in his last two starts. He is booked to work at Santa Anita this weekend, D’Amato said.
Repo Man, the dominant 2-year-old on turf in California in recent months, will be held out of the BC Juvenile Turf, trainer Michael McCarthy said.
“He’s going to get a little freshening,” McCarthy said.
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Repo Man is not going to race again this year.
“He’ll miss the Breeders’ Cup, so why persevere,” McCarthy said.
Owned by John and Jerry Amerman, Repo Man is unbeaten in two starts, both on turf – a maiden race at five furlongs on Aug. 27 at Del Mar and the Grade 3 Zuma Beach Stakes at a mile on Oct. 4 at Santa Anita.
In the Zuma Beach Stakes, Repo Man finished a head in front of stablemate Maxify, who remains a candidate for the BC Juvenile Turf, McCarthy said.
Ag Bullet, third and second in the BC Turf Sprint in the last two years at Del Mar, will not run in this year’s race on Oct. 31, trainer Richard Baltas said.
A 6-year-old mare, Ag Bullet is scheduled to be sold at the Fasig-Tipton November sale in Lexington, Ky., on Nov. 2.
Ag Bullet finished last of seven in the Grade 2 Franklin Stakes for fillies and mares at 5 1/2 furlongs on yielding turf Sunday at Keeneland.
“She did not like the soft turf, but I’m not 100 percent she wants to try anymore,” trainer Richard Baltas said. “She’s fine. There is nothing wrong with her.
“Maybe she doesn’t want to run anymore. I know mares can get like that. She’s not going to run in the Breeders’ Cup. That’s over with.”
Owned by Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran, Ag Bullet has won 8 of 20 starts and earned $3,098,853. By Twirling Candy, Ag Bullet has won seven stakes, including the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes against males at Saratoga in 2025 and the Grade 2 Ladies Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs in 2024 and 2025.
Earlier this year, Ag Bullet was second in the Jaipur Stakes at Saratoga and eighth as the 11-10 favorite in the Grade 1 Ladies Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs on Aug. 29.
“She’s still a valuable mare,” Baltas said. “If we don’t sell her, we’ll definitely breed her.”
Baltas said that Ag Bullet is tentatively scheduled to be bred to Not This Time, who through Wednesday led the nation’s stallions with $28.4 million in progeny earnings.
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