KD Turf Sprint (Grade 3) (BC)- $1,000.000 Purse
KD- For Three Year Olds and Upward
Six Furlongs on the Turf
September 11, 2021

There are very few opportunities out there for turf sprinters to run for the type of purse that is offered in the KD Turf Sprint. It should therefore come as no surprise that the starting gate is filled to capacity with a field of fourteen ready to take part. The BC points that are on the line also offer a nice incentive. Over the last two years, one horse has kept all that glory to himself as Gleaming Spirit won the race, and it’s $700.000 purse in each of those races. This gelding is not about to hand over his title easily, as he runs for the third straight year! Rivals probably could breathe a little easier as it does seem as though he is not what he once was, but never rule out a horse rediscovering his old glory. His trainer, Mb Stables, is looking for his fourth win in this race as it runs for the seventh time. Here’s a look at the field!

#1- Elijah G (Mb Stables, ridden by T Gaffalione)- Even though Gleaming Spirit is looking for the threepeat, this is the horse that the trainer is looking towards, probably, to win this race. Elijah G has three triple digit SRF’s in his last four races, with one of them being in his last start, placing second in the Grade 1 Highlander Stakes about three weeks ago. He’s also a three year old, so that three pound weight allowance comes in handy. A lot of “three’s” associated with this one, isn’t it? Maybe that translates to win number three for him.

#2- Scafati (Fractious, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- Only recently has this horse been running regularly on the grass, doing so in his last three starts. He ran respectably in the Grade 1 Jaipur, but then fared much better in a pair of $100.000 ungraded stakes. This is a horse with more than enough experience running in top notch races, they just haven’t been turf sprints. Not likely to be one of the favorites, but also not one to overlook in between the Highlander runners.

#3- Bajan Mask (Spankys Barn, ridden by D Van Dyke)- This Ye Charley gelding has shown an interest in jumping out to the lead, and he has been able to stay there all the way to the wire in longer races, so be looking for more of that here. Of course, his last races saw him get passed in the stretch by two of his rivals he sees here, as he ran fourth in the HIghlander after setting the pace. So, maybe not a given that he is in front early on.

#4- Cold Weather Rider (Night Rider Stables, ridden by L Saez)- If we’re going to have three runners from the Highlander Stakes, we should have the race’s winner. With Cold Weather Rider, we will, as the veteran seven year old showed he is not slowing down at all, earning a 101 SRF. Altogether, he’s won fifteen of his 48 career starts. Ran in this race last year, and finished third, and that could be improved on here since he is on very good form at the moment.

#5- Mystery (Fractious, ridden by D Davis)- Last year, Mystery got a chance to run in the BEL, and ended up in the middle of the field. That race could not be any different than a turf sprint, and this is something that Mystery has actually only done one other time in his career. Last month at the Spa, he had a second place finish in the Grade 3 Troy, a promising result for further success, for sure. Can he be counted on to win, though? With many tries in stakes, his signature win is an ungraded, $65.000 stake. Perhaps he simply due to change that.

#6- Koda (Mb Stables, ridden by Ru Gonzalez)- Perhaps if there is an autogen in a race like this, he needs to be seven years old. This gelding has made 24 starts, but its over 18 months and two trainers ago from when he was last in the winners circle. This will be the first time that he has been in a sprint since 2017. No, that was not a typo. The trainer sees something, but I will believe it when I see it.

#7- World In Changes (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by A Cedillo)- An all or nothing type horse, as he has made thirteen career starts, and won four of them. Nothing wrong with that, but those are also the only times that he has hit the board. When he’s off, he can be way off. There may be a nice pay off if this is one of his good days, so if you’re feeling it, give him a shot. I’ll pass, however.

#8- Indie Bread (Fractious, ridden by S R Bahen)- Entry number three in the race from Fractious, and he paid a lot to get him. At the end of July, after running fifth in the Grade 3 Dwyer, Fractious picked him up in private sales for $500.000 from Spankys Barn. He moved him to the grass and it was immediate success! Or, maybe not, as he was sixth in an ungraded $120.000 stake at SAR, missing my eight lengths. Prior to that, he was 2-for-2 in turf sprints, including the Grade 2 Shakertown at KEE in April. That’s the race to pay attention too. He’s a good contender in here.

#9- Gleaming Spirit (Mb Stables, ridden by E Jaramillo)- After winning a $20.000 claimer at SAR three weeks ago, Gleaming Spirit comes to KD looking to win this race for the third straight year. The prior two times, he entered the race off of the Grade 3 Troy and the Grade 1 Highlander. The 2019 BC Turf Sprint champion has been on a lighter schedule this year, but did run third in Grade 3 Sam Simeon Stakes in March. He likes this track, and he might have people wishing that they claimed him last month. Will be interesting, for sure.

#10- One Man Show (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by G Saez)- Has not been a factor in either of his two races, placing seventh in the $100.000 Elusive Quality, and then eighth in the Grade 3 Troy. He missed by three lengths in each of them. He’s had better moments, and one of them came right here last year, when he won Grade 3, $500.000 Simpson Stakes. If that horse that won the $75.000 Silks Run shows up, then I like the fact that he won that race last year. However, those results don’t create a ton of confidence.

#11- Owl Cat (Rock Creek, ridden by J Alvarado)- The veteran six year old gelding will make the 40th start of his career and hopes to put his last start behind him. In July, he struggled in a starter allowance at SAR, snapping a streak of seven straight finishes in the money. That included the Grade 1 Jaipur in June, where he was third, making his SAR performance more of a head scratcher. After a couple months to think about it, he is back in action and hoping to get back to that good form.

#12- Kid Commander (Allinthegate, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- His last race saw him move from the turf to the dirt, running in the Grade 1 Crosby. That did not go well, and now he is back on the surface where he has had a very high level of success. He had been on a three race inning streak, all of them turf sprints, and all of them graded stakes. That’s highlighted by capturing the Grade 1 Jaipur in June. You can go back even further if you want to see that he has won seven of his last eight while sprinting on the grass. He’s hard not to pick, and should be a contender if not the one to beat.

#13- John Deere (T Boy Racing, ridden by M Franco)- Last year, John Deere mowed down the competition to win the BC Sprint. It was one of his five victories during 2020, and that also included the Crosby. Earlier this year, and before he made a start as a four year old, he was sold by Mb Stables for $400.000 to T Boy Racing. In his new silks, John Deere has been running second a lot, with four runner up in seven races, but no wins. Three of his last four starts have been on the grass, but he has never been in a turf race of this stature.

#14- The Grandmaster (John Henry, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Starting right next to one BC champion is another, even though they must start from the outside. The Grandmaster was the winner of the BC Turf Sprint, winning the race in his third try at it. That shows how successful he has been during his career, also winning the Jaipur and the Highlander in his history, as well as this one! Prior to Gleaming Spirit’s two victories, The Grandmaster won the race in 2018, but back then they were only paying a $500.000 purse! Unlike Gleaming Spirit, he is hot, winning his last three, including the Grade 3 Troy. If only this was not his starting post.

Prediction: 12-14-1-4

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES