Favorites will start inside in Sprint

The giant sigh of relief heard during the post position draw for Saturday's Breeders' Cup Sprint came from trainer Todd Beattie after the first pill out of the cup was No. 1 and the corresponding horse's name called out was Cost of Freedom and not his Fabulous Strike.

Fabulous Strike, who drew post 3, has started outside post 4 just once since the spring of his 3-year-old campaign in 2006. He's drawn the rail in four of his last nine starts, including the Grade 1 Vosburgh four weeks ago. It was a post that may have ultimately cost the speedster the victory after he was hard used throughout disputing the pace from along the inside before dropping a tough head decision to Black Seventeen.

"I just started to assume that was the way it had to be," Beattie said. "That we would automatically draw the rail. From the outside, you don't have to be in as much of a hurry. It's hard to take back from the fence. Naturally, I'd have preferred to have been somewhere more in the middle on Saturday, but three isn't too bad. And besides, he's certainly had a lot of practice down there."

Fabulous Strike is one of only nine horses entered for the Sprint and he actually fared better at the draw than the two likely favorites, Cost of Freedom and Street Boss, who will break from posts 1 and 2, respectively.

"You'd always rather be outside, but we'll be all right," said trainer Bruce Headley, whose Street Boss had a five-race win streak snapped when beaten a half-length by Cost of Freedom in the Grade 1 Ancient Title.

Street Boss was scheduled to blow out an easy three furlongs before dawn Wednesday.