Pay Any Price shines among Turf Sprint field

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – X Y Jet is not the only horse on Saturday’s Summit of Speed program whose connections are looking to find an easy path between now and the Nov. 2-3 Breeder’s Cup at Churchill Downs. The same holds true for Pay Any Price, another fragile but extremely fast old pro whose year-end goal is the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

Like X Y Jet in the Smile Sprint later in the day, Pay Any Price will be an overwhelming favorite when he faces seven seemingly overmatched rivals in the five-furlong Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint, one of three $75,000 stakes on the Summit of Speed card that support the Grade 3 Smile Sprint and the Grade 2 Princess Rooney. The other two are the Carry Back and the Azalea, for 3-year-olds and 3-year-old fillies, respectively.

Pay Any Price, who set a North American record for five furlongs on the turf winning the Silks Run Stakes here in March 2017, has cycled back to peak form with one-sided victories in his last two starts, including a wire-to-wire 5 1/4-length win in the Crystal Run overnight stakes on June 3. And barring any hiccups at the start, the 8-year-old Pay Any Price figures to stand some catching again in the Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint, a race he won by 3 1/4 lengths as the 1-5 favorite one year earlier.

“He came out of his last race good and we just kind of babied him ever since,” said Richard Averill, who owns Pay Any Price with Matties Racing.

“The goal is the Breeders’ Cup,” Averill said. “He’ll probably get a break after this race. We’re not going to run him in any big preps around the country. We’re going to stay local and hope he gets voted in. When he’s right, I think he’s one of the best turf sprinters in the world. Not just this country. The world.”

Moonwalker and Focus On Me finished second and fifth behind Pay Any Price in the Crystal River, and are back to try him again. The remainder of the field comprises High Hopes, Apache Brave, Diddley, Asked and Answered, and the maiden Silver Wings Raven. Harryhee and Silver Defense have been entered for the main track only.

The seven-furlong Carry Back reunites Powerful Venezuela and Noble Drama, second and third behind the odds-on King Humor in the Ocala Flame overnight stakes here June 7. Noble Drama may have been best of the two that day, finishing willingly after being knocked far back after the break.

Trainer Ralph Nicks will counter with two speedy but lightly raced colts in the Carry Back, Phantom Ro and Sighted. Phantom Ro was an easy winner of his first two starts, including the six-furlong Dr. Fager at 2, but went to the sidelines prematurely after finishing third following a slow start in the seven-furlong Affirmed, a race won by stablemate Soutache. Sighted will get a class check in the Carry Back after opening his career with two wire-to-wire victories against statebreds earlier in the meet.

War Giant, who has won his last two starts by a combined 17 1/4 lengths since adding blinkers to launch his 3-year-old campaign, also figures to be a major player in the Carry Back.

The seven-furlong Azalea may prove a rematch of the Game Face Stakes at the same distance here April 21, a race won by Starcloud in wire-to-wire fashion over the 3-5 runner-up Alter Moon. Alter Moon has since rebounded to post a 14 3/4-length allowance win over older horses, while Starcloud returns from New York after finishing far back in the Grade 1 Acorn.

Should Starcloud and Alter Moon lock horns early, Florida Fuego and Starship Bonita could benefit. Florida Fuego rallied to a nose decision over the speedy Luzmimi Princess in the Lisa Jane Stakes in her most recent start. She and Starship Bonita, who won two of the three Florida Sire Stakes for 2-year-old fillies here last summer, traded decisions earlier this spring at Tampa Bay Downs.