Kobe's Back needs to plead his case for Breeders' Cup Sprint

ARCADIA, Calif. – The losses are starting to mount for Kobe’s Back in recent months, giving added urgency to his appearance in Saturday’s $300,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship.

The Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship will be the final start for Kobe’s Back before a potential trip to Keeneland for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Oct. 31. The objectives are clear.

“I need to see a big race, a first or a second,” trainer Peter Eurton said. “Otherwise, who are we fooling?”

A win would do nicely for Eurton and owners Lee and Susan Searing. The winner of the Santa Anita Sprint Championship at six furlongs receives a fees-paid berth in the BC Sprint through the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program.

Kobe’s Back, 4, won the Grade 3 Commonwealth Stakes at seven furlongs at Keeneland in April but has lost his last three starts – a sixth in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park in June, a third in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on July 26, and a last-place finish of four in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 22.

In the two Del Mar races, Kobe’s Back struggled at the start. He trailed by as many as 13 lengths in the Bing Crosby before finishing 2 3/4 lengths behind Wild Dude, a candidate in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship.

Eurton said he has been encouraged by Kobe’s Back’s recent workouts, notably five furlongs in 58.40 seconds at Santa Anita on Sept. 21. “He did it so effortlessly,” Eurton said.

A half-mile workout in 48.40 seconds on Monday was designed more as a tune-up than for speed work, he said.

“I wanted him to stretch his legs,” he said. “I didn’t want to do too much.”

Gary Stevens has the mount on Kobe’s Back, who has won 3 of 14 starts and earned $592,250. Even with a clean start, Kobe’s Back will run from off the pace Saturday. He rallied from last of seven to win the Commonwealth Stakes.

The Santa Anita Sprint Championship has a projected field of seven, including the quick San Onofre, who has been second in three sprint stakes at Santa Anita this year, and the 3-year-old Gimme Da Lute, who will make his first start against older runners.

Masochistic, the winner of two graded stakes here in April and June, will be favored. Trained by Ron Ellis, Masochistic won the Grade 2 Kona Gold Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs in April and the Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes at seven furlongs on June 27 before finishing second in the Bing Crosby.