Totally Boss earns berth in Breeders' Cup with win in Runhappy Turf Sprint

FRANKLIN, Ky. – Totally Boss continued his rapid ascent in the North American turf-sprint ranks when he pulled away Saturday to win the first Win and You’re In race in Kentucky Downs history, the Grade 3, $684,640 Runhappy Turf Sprint.

Always in a prime stalking spot under Florent Geroux, Totally Boss spurted clear after turning for home in the six-furlong race to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths over longshot Smart Remark, thereby earning an expenses-paid berth to the Nov. 2 BC Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.

“That’s where we’ll go next, the Breeders’ Cup,” trainer Rusty Arnold said while the field of 10 older horses was still galloping out. “He won’t run back till then.”

Totally Boss, a 4-year-old Street Boss gelding owned by Susan and Jim Hill, returned $10.80 after finishing in 1:09.21 over firm going. He now has won four of five starts this year, with his only defeat coming by a nose in a closing-day allowance at the Churchill Downs spring meet.

“He’s unfortunate not to have won them all this year,” said Arnold.

Smart Remark, dismissed at 69-1, set the pace in the 21st Turf Sprint, with Totally Boss poised to strike just to his outside. When the time came, Totally Boss zipped ahead and went unchallenged to the wire.

“When he broke sharp, maybe he was closer than normal, but I just went with it,” said Geroux. “He was loaded today.”

Leinster, a second Arnold trainee, ran on well to be another 1 1/2 lengths back in third, just edging out Imprimis, the 2-1 favorite.

Stormy Liberal, the 2018 Eclipse turf champion and an older half-brother to Leinster, had good early position before finishing fifth, marking his fifth start this year without a win.

Arnold said his training regimen with Totally Boss is somewhat unusual in that the gelding returns to the Hills’ Margaux Farm in Midway, Ky., following his races, then returns to his care after two or three weeks.

“They freshen him up and it’s just really worked for us,” said Arnold.

Totally Boss earned $413,540, bringing his 15-race bankroll to $666,658.

The $2 exacta (10-4) paid $476, the $1 trifecta (10-4-8) returned $1,288.90, and the 10-cent superfecta (10-4-8-3) was worth $630.44.

The Turf Sprint purse included $200,000 in bonuses from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund, for which all but the Florida-bred Imprimis were eligible. All but Wet Your Whistle are BC nominees.