Speed rules the BC Sprint, but there is no clear standout
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ARCADIA, Calif. – The 2014 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita is packed with full and wide-open fields, none more so than the $1.5 million Sprint on Saturday. In fact, even trainer Bob Baffert, who sends out defending winner Secret Circle along with the undefeated 3-year-old Indianapolis in the six-furlong Sprint, is at a loss when trying to assess this year’s lineup.
“This is the fastest field I’ve ever seen in the Sprint,” Baffert said. “If you break a step slow, you’re done. I don’t even try to handicap the race. To me, it’s like a Quarter Horse race – you just hope you get lucky and that’s it.”
Secret Circle was both lucky and talented enough to win the Sprint last year despite getting shuffled back in traffic on the turn. He has started just twice since, finishing second in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes in February, and then third, 1 3/4 lengths behind winner Rich Tapestry, in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Oct. 4.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Secret Circle. Trainer Bob Baffert is 22-3-2-2 with a $0.80 ROI over the past five years in dirt sprint graded stakes in the second start following a layout. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Indianapolis has won all three of his starts but will get a serious class test when taking on Grade 1 opposition for the first time in the Sprint.
Rich Tapestry defeated two defending Breeders’ Cup winners, Secret Circle and Goldencents, when winning his United States debut in the Sprint Championship, and trainer C.W. (Michael) Chang believes his horse can move forward off the effort.
“I think this horse has a little bit of improvement in him off his last race,” Chang said. “I had to rush him out of quarantine and work him two days before the race, so he might have been a little rusty. I’ve had more time to prepare him properly for this race."
:: Breeders’ Cup Sprint analysis
There is speed aplenty in the Sprint field, as Baffert notes, and a brisk pace is expected. Indianapolis figures to force the early issue breaking near the inside along with Seeking the Sherif, Big Macher, Work All Week, and Fast Anna, who’ll have blinkers back on after working five furlongs in 56.98 seconds in blinkers last weekend.
Trainer Alfredo Velazquez says he’s hopeful his rider, Martin Pedroza, will be able to take Private Zone back from a little off the pace, as he did when successfully defending his Vosburgh title earlier this fall at Belmont Park.
“Martin knows him well, he doesn’t need the lead,” said Velazquez, who took over training Private Zone just prior to the Vosburgh.
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KEY CONTENDERS
Secret Circle (Last 3 Beyers: 100-103-98)
◗ He broke near the outer part of a 12-horse field en route to victory in the 2013 BC Sprint but must break closer to the inside on Saturday, a fact that concerns his trainer.
“I was hoping he’d get an outside post, like last year, where he wouldn’t get too much kickback,” Baffert said.
◗ He won the BC Sprint with a 98 Beyer Speed Figure in 2013, but he’ll have to run faster, perhaps as high as 105, to successfully defend that title on Saturday.
Rich Tapestry (Last Beyer: 105)
◗ This Hong Kong invader is perfect in three career starts on dirt.
“Honestly I expected him to run big in the Sprint Championship, and I expect him to run big again Saturday because he never misses on dirt,” Chang said.
Private Zone (Last 3 Beyers: 106-86-108)
◗ He owns the highest lifetime Beyer of any member of the field, the 108 he received for his second-place finish in the 2013 Cigar Mile.
◗ He has finished second in three of his four previous starts at Santa Anita.
“I didn’t have the horse then, but it seems like he’s done nothing wrong on this track, and he’s a better horse now than he was the last times he ran here.”
Mico Margarita (Last 3 Beyers: 102-102-96)
◗ He has the look of a sleeper coming off two sharp stakes wins, both since teaming up with jockey Rosie Napravnik for the first time this summer at Mountaineer.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 7 Mico Margarita. Trainer Steve Asmussen is 38-2-5-7 with a $0.32 ROI over the past five years in Grade 1 dirt sprints. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Palace (Last 3 Beyers: 101-101-107)
◗ The New York invader is the only two-time 2014 Grade 1 winner in the field with victories in both the Vanderbilt and Forego.
◗ He owns the highest six-furlong Beyer of the group, the 107 he posted for his one-length triumph in the Vanderbilt.
Work All Week (Last 3 Beyers: 100-96-103)
◗ A win machine with 11 victories in 14 lifetime starts, he’s been on the lead at the eighth pole in 12 of his last 13 starts but has never faced the kind of speed he’ll match up against in this lineup.
Salutos Amigos (Last 3 Beyers: 106-101-103)
◗ He returns on one week’s rest after overcoming traffic to register an impressive victory in last Saturday’s Bold Ruler Handicap. He returned in eight days last April to win a seven-furlong allowance race at Aqueduct.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 9 Salutos Amigos. Trainer David Jacobson is 15-9-2-0 with a $4.30 ROI over the past five years in dirt sprints outside of New York state within seven days of the previous start. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 14 Bourbon Courage. Trainer Kellyn Gorder is 58-13-10-11 with a $3.52 ROI over the past five years in dirt sprints with last-out winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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