Pure Sensation eyes third Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint attempt

As Breeders’ Cup season draws near, horsemen must look at the cards in their hand and decide how they’re going to play them.

For the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, Frank and Patricia Generazio hold a pair of potential aces in Pure Sensation and Disco Partner. The former won a major prep for the Turf Sprint in his most recent start, the Grade 3 Turf Monster Handicap at Parx Racing, while the latter set the world record for six furlongs on turf in the Grade 3 Jaipur Invitational Stakes earlier this year. Both are homebreds for the Generazios and are trained by Christophe Clement.

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However, when it comes time to lay the cards down for the Breeders’ Cup, Frank Generazio said they’ll probably play just one of the two.

“I’m pretty sure we’re only going to run Pure Sensation,” he said. “He’s doing good, and we’ll save the other guy for something else.”

This will mark Pure Sensation’s third shot at the Turf Sprint. The 6-year-old Zensational gelding finished eighth in the 2015 edition at Keeneland and ran third last year over Santa Anita’s downhill course.

The Turf Sprint at Del Mar will be contested at a flat five furlongs, conditions under which Pure Sensation has won 6 of 10 starts.

“They say not many horses go down there [to Santa Anita] and win the first time they go downhill,” Generazio said. “This is different. It’s five-eighths on a regular setup at Del Mar, so he should do better, I think. This is more up his alley.”

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Pure Sensation has done the vast majority of his running on the East Coast, venturing out of the Eastern Time Zone for the first time to compete in last year’s Turf Sprint. Generazio was confident the cross-country ship would not affect his runner, though, given his solid effort at Santa Anita last year.

“That’s no concern,” he said. “As long as it doesn’t rain. That’s my only concern. It isn’t likely that time of year, but you never know today what’s going to happen tomorrow.”

While the Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational Stakes was on the radar for Pure Sensation’s next start, a race that the gelding won last year, Generazio said he was more likely to rest the horse and keep him fresh toward their ultimate goal. His current five-race campaign in 2017 is the longest he has gone without a break of at least 30 days, spanning back to May.

“We’re giving him a lot of time off, and he’s doing great and looks great,” Generazio said. “I certainly hope we’ll have him ready for Breeders’ Cup. I don’t think I’m going to run him before that. We’re just going to work on getting him ready and ship him. We’re looking forward to it.”

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