Ravalo may be on the outside looking in for BC Turf Sprint

With 18 horses pre-entered, the Turf Sprint is one of six Breeders’ Cup races that oversubscribed. A maximum of 14 can start; two also-eligibles will be drawn and appear on the program in case of any late scratches.

The Sprint is the first preference for Kinsale King, the winner of the $2 million Golden Shaeen earlier this year. If trainer Carl O’Callaghan does indeed go that route with Kinsale King, which seems likely since the 5-year-old gelding has lost both of his turf starts, Waveline is the first of four non-selected horses who would get in, although her first preference is the Filly and Mare Sprint. That race was the most oversubscribed of all with 22 pre-entries, however, and there are four non-selected fillies and mares ahead of her in order of preference, so it may be a case of Turf Sprint or nothing for Waveline.

Such a scenario could shut out one of the most accomplished pre-entrants, Ravalo, who ranks behind Waveline and ahead of Lt. Hopeful and Yield Bogey.

Ravalo has 14 victories, the second-highest total among the Turf Sprint pre-entries, and his earnings ($890,165) are fourth-highest. But the 6-year-old gelding made his first 36 starts on dirt and synthetic tracks before switching over to the grass at Saratoga for two sharp placings in overnight stakes; he was a close fifth with a late run in Keeneland’s Grade 3 Woodford Stakes in his third attempt on turf.

Rose Catherine was among the Todd Pletcher contingent to arrive at Churchill on Tuesday, 48 hours after an easy five-furlong breeze on Belmont’s training track in 1:04.26 Sunday, the third-slowest of 23 at the distance.

“She finished up okay, and it was a ‘what-I-would-expect-her-to-do’ type of work on the dirt,” said Pletcher.

Chamberlain Bridge, a horse for the course with a 3-1-0 record from 4 starts on Churchill Downs’s turf, is scheduled to work Saturday for Bret Calhoun.