Masochistic fires five-furlong bullet prepping for Breeders' Cup Sprint

ARCADIA, Calif. - Masochistic had his final workout at Santa Anita on Sunday in advance of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland next Saturday. The two-time stakes winner worked five furlongs in 58.40 seconds without company, the fastest of 50 recorded works at the distance.

“He looked like he did it easily,” trainer Ron Ellis said. “He was relaxed.”

With the final workout completed, Ellis has another prerace objective to achieve: He is banking on an outside post position for Masochistic in the BC Sprint. Post positions will be drawn on Monday.

Masochistic was fourth in his last start, the Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Oct. 3, starting from the rail as the 3-5 favorite. Masochistic was part of a speed duel and faded from contention to finish 8 1-4 lengths behind Wild Dude, a contender in the BC Sprint.

A wide draw in the BC Sprint could help Masochistic avoid a speed duel in the six-furlong race. Mike Smith will ride Masochistic for the first time at Keeneland.

“An outside post would help,” Ellis said. “It would make Mike Smith’s job a lot easier. He’s a really talented horse.”

Owned by Samantha Siegel and Will Shamlian, Masochistic has won 6 of 10 starts and $601,850. He won two graded stakes in the spring and summer at Santa Anita – the Grade 2 Kona Gold Stakes in April and the Grade 1 Triple Bend in June.

Masochistic has lost his last two starts – a second in the Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on July 26 and the fourth in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship.

Masochistic had the most prominent workout at Santa Anita on Sunday among four hopefuls for Breeders’ Cup races.

On turf, Obviously, pre-entered in the Turf Sprint and Mile, breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80. He had the fastest of four turf workouts at the distance. Big John B, an outsider for the BC Turf, worked in 1:03, while Elektrum, a longshot for the Filly and Mare Turf, was timed in 1:02.80.

Obviously was the only horse among the 162 workers at Santa Anita on Sunday to be given the designation of “breezing”, an indication his workout was rated as an easier exercise than the description of handily given the other runners.

Obviously and Big John B are trained by Phil D’Amato. Obviously has started once this year, finishing third in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile on Sept. 13.

“He had two hard breezes before this,” D’Amato said. “This was a leg stretcher. The turf course is lightning fast.”