Listenupshance garners BC Sprint berth with Bing Crosby triumph

DEL MAR, Calif. – A tough gelding who had been banging on the door landed his first graded stakes victory Saturday at Del Mar.

Listenupshance’s upset in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes was his first win of the year, and earned him a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Listenupshance ($13.80) gave trainer Doug O’Neill his first Bing Crosby victory with his 13th starter in the race.

Emisael Jaramillo rode Listenupshance to the nose victory in 1:09.33. It was the jockey’s first Grade 1 in the U.S.

Maximum Bourbon finished second; Moonlight closed from last to third. Cornucopian, the 6-5 favorite trained by Bob Baffert, was pulled up and taken off the track in a horse ambulance. Cornucopian appeared to have sustained an injury to his right front.

As the winner, Listenupshance is a rags-to-riches saga. He won a $20,000 maiden-claiming race last summer at Del Mar, and ended his 2025 campaign winning a $50,000 claiming sprint in November at Del Mar. He turned into a better horse this year at age 5.

“I don’t know if there’s a lot of difference,” O’Neill said, comparing the 2025 version of Listenupshance to the 2026 version. “He’s always been a fighter, he’s always been a big, good-looking horse.”

Listenupshance is a faster horse this year, even though winless his first four starts of the season. He finished second in two stakes at Santa Anita, third in an allowance, then shipped to Saratoga to finish third in the fast-paced Grade 3 True North last out.

The Bing Crosby unfolded well for Listenupshance. He broke cleanly from post 2, while Mad House sped to the lead. Jaramillo could have engaged Mad House inside, but he instead took back and pressed from second position on the outside.

“He’s a very happy horse, no problem (positioned) second,” Jaramillo said. “No problem in front, second, he’s a professional.”

Nearing the quarter pole, Listenupshance shook away from Mad House after fractions of :21.88 and :44.18. His midstretch lead of 2 1/2 lengths diminished late. Listenupshance held by a nose over Maximum Bourbon.

O’Neill, who took over training Listenupshance last summer, knew the gelding would be tough to run down in the stretch. “I just know this horse is a warrior, I knew if he was anywhere near (the front) at the head of the lane, he would be somewhere near at the wire,” O’Neill said.

After the top three, the fourth through seventh finish positions were Mad House, Dr. Venkman, Stronghold, and Gold Sweep. Cornucopian did not finish.

Listenupshance, a gelding by Shancelot, is owned by a partnership that includes Run Fast Racing and Great Friends Stable. He has won four of 13 starts. He earned $240,000 for his Bing Crosby victory, which more than doubled his career earnings to $438,570.

The winner also gives his connections plenty to look forward to this fall in the BC Sprint. The last horse to win both the Bing Crosby and Breeders’ Cup Sprint was Amazombie, the Bill Spawr trainee who won both races in 2011. The last horse to run in the Bing Crosby and win the BC Sprint was 2017-18 BC Sprint winner Roy H, runner-up in the Bing Crosby both years.

The last-to-third rally by Moonlight was perfect for the Peter Miller-trained late-runner. “Watch out in the Pat O’Brien guys!,” Miller said afterward, referring to the seven-furlong Grade 1 Pat O’Brien on Aug. 29.

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