Five tough sprinters square off

ALBANY, Calif. - The quickest sprinters at Golden Gate Fields ran last Saturday in the Golden Gate Fields Sprint.

The toughest sprinters, however, are in Friday's feature. Five runners were entered in the six-furlong event for a $32,000 tag.

, who has 4 wins, and Olympic Miler, who has 2 wins at age 4, round out the field.

These warriors have more combined victories (47) than many runners have starts. They also have a combined 169 starts. As a group they have won 28 percent of their races and hit the board a combined 60 percent of the time. Olympic Miler is the only one of the five without at least $100,000 in earnings, though he has earned $79,275 in 11 starts and is stakes-placed.

Trainer Billy Morey sends out the uncoupled entry of Pragmatico and Barron H. Pragmatico has won four straight starts, including two since Morey claimed him. Morey just re-claimed Barron H, who lost by a nose to Pragmatico two starts back and was an odds-on winner in his last start.

"I wasn't thrilled to draw the rail," Morey said of Pragmatico. "But these horses have been around a long time, and nothing seems to bother them."

It's hard to project a winner, although Olympic Miler's credentials seem weakest on the surface. But he has faced such top sprinters as Lost in the Fog (twice), Stellar Magic, Wind Water, and Sabi Sand - something none of his oppponents can claim. He ran fourth to Lion Andthe Lamb and behind Peak a Bootrando in his first start from a 9 1/2-month layoff.

Peak a Bootrando is dropping from $50,000 optional claiming company, where he has a win, a third, and a fourth since running second for this tag following a six-month layoff.

Pragmatico continues to move up the class ladder, having started his winning streak at the $10,000 level. Barron H steps up off a $20,000 claim and runs here because a $25,000 race didn't fill.

Colonel Courtney has four works, including a pair of half-mile bullets, since running second for this tag.