Lord Nelson's new title: sprint king

DEL MAR, Calif. – The overpowering four-length victory by Lord Nelson in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes on Sunday might very well have been the fastest six furlongs in track history at Del Mar.

Lord Nelson was timed in a blistering 1:07.65. The track record is listed in the program as 1:07.60, set by King of Cricket in 1973.

However, King of Cricket actually ran six furlongs in 1:07 3/5, and that is expressed in the program as 1:07.60. But in his era, races were timed in fifths of a second instead of the more-precise hundredths of a second today. So, King of Cricket could have run six furlongs in anywhere from 1:07.60 to 1:07.79.

What’s not in doubt is that Lord Nelson is now the favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 5 at Santa Anita. The Bing Crosby was a Win and You’re In race toward the BC Sprint, so Lord Nelson is in.

On Monday, trainer Bob Baffert said he had not decided what he would do with Lord Nelson between now and the Breeders’ Cup. Options include running him again at this meet in the Grade 2, $200,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs on Aug. 27 or waiting for the Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Oct. 8 as a prep race for the BC Sprint.

“He’s improving,” Baffert said of Lord Nelson, who is unbeaten in three starts this year. “He’s become a really serious sprinter.”

The Baffert-trained Jazzy Times, who won a first-level allowance race Sunday, is headed to the Grade 1, $500,000 King’s Bishop Stakes on Aug. 27, part of a contingent Baffert said he will send to Saratoga for the Travers card that day.

Baffert said American Freedom, the Haskell runner-up, is under serious consideration for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers, as is Arrogate, who is scheduled to run in race 2 on Thursday at Del Mar.

Baffert also has several top older female sprinters who would fit in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina, including Luminance, an allowance winner here last week.